162 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



In 1898 the museum was enriched by a fine seated Ka-statue 

 of an Egyptian nobleman called Xenkheftek, who lived under 

 the fifth dynasty, and whose tomb at Deshasheh was opened that 

 year. With it have come the skeleton of the original and other 

 valuable sepulchral deposits of the old Egj^ptian empire. From 

 Behnesa an interesting collection of objects of the Roman 

 period was obtained. The most important part of the acquisi- 

 tions from this site, however, is a portion of the rich find of 

 Greek papyri, which will eventually come to the museum. 



In 1899 objects of inestimable value, dating from the earliest 

 dynasties, were received from Hierakonpolis, among them being 

 a superb alabaster vase inscribed in the name of King Kha- 

 Sekhem, and 10 ivory carvings representing the men and women 

 who inhabited the Kile vallev about 4500 B. C. Interestiner 

 acquisitions from Dendera and Hu were also added. 



In the years 1900-2 the work of the Egypt exploration fund 

 proved of more than usual importance. Having obtained per- 

 mission from the Egyptian government to go over the ground 

 just excavated by a French syndicate at Abydos, Mr Petrie's 

 finds and scientific results were of the utmost interest, the col- 

 lections from this earliest stratum of Egyptian history having 

 proved of peculiar value. Through the liberality of the Ameri- 

 can exploration society, which has assumed the financial re- 

 sponsibility involved in cooperating with the Egypt exploration 

 fund on behalf of the department of archeology, a liberal share 

 of the objects discovered will come to Philadelphia. Among 

 these are a stele of King Qa, and several stone fragments and 

 ivory tablets inscribed in the names of other and early suc- 

 cessors of King Mena. 



Of the founder of the United Egyptian Empire himself, an 

 ebony tablet inscribed in his name may be seen, as well as other 

 fragments and objects of his reign. Inscriptions and objects 

 from the tombs of kings of the 1st, 2d, and 3d dynasties and 

 even of pre-^Menite rulers are among the new series. It is there 

 fore fair to state that the collection, as far as regards the 

 Archaic period, is unique in this country. 



The Mediterranean collection comprises an important series 

 from Cyprus and interesting Greek, Etruscan and Roman 

 antiquities. 



