1896.1 [Stevenson. 



seen by the handle of a bone implement. Here, however, the double- 

 headed bird is no eagle but an ostrich. 



Where was the centre of this culture — whence did these men come into 

 the Nile valley ? This must now be the problem which archteologists 

 have to solve. It is the last riddle propounded by the Egyptian Sphinx. 



They were a tall, robust race, with strongly marked features and a 

 hooked nose. They wore a long pointed beard and had brown wavy 

 hair, as shown by their representations of the human figure. Altogether 

 they closely approached the type of the Libyans and the Amoriles, and 

 probably belonged to the same stock. Mr. Flinders-Petrie calls them 

 Libyans, and Messrs. Evans and Boyd Dawkins corroborate this opinion. 

 By Libyan here is meant a people inhabiting some as yet undetermined 

 region of northern Africa, and representing a branch of the Neolithic cul- 

 ture of southern Europe, although these particular Libyans were just 

 emerging from the Neolithic stage when they invaded Egypt. 



The connections which can, through them, be traced with the con- 

 temporary Mediterranean civilization are of immense value. Not only do 

 their importations from the Mediterranean region give us interesting 

 glimpses of the active intercourse of nations inter se in those early days 

 and reveal it to us as much the same in character and degree as it appears 

 in subsequent ages, but they furnish us with the means of approximately 

 dating certain typical Mediterranean products. As we find these asso- 

 ciated in the Mediterranean region with the transition period of the Neo- 

 lithic culture, it seems that we are more or less safe in regarding 3500 as 

 the likely period of the introduction of metals into the western Mediter- 

 ranean region. 



Not only has Mr. Petrie's splendid discovery filled up what has long 

 seemed a hopeless blank in Egyptian history, but it has furnished science 

 with a solid foundation upon which the prehistoric period of Europe may 

 stand whilst like a coral reef it builds its way up in an eflort to reach the 

 surface of history. 



Before closing my remarks, I beg to take advantage of this opportunity 

 to acknowledge Mr. Flinders-Petrie's disinterested kindness and liberality 

 in helping us to develop in this city a museum which must prove an edu- 

 cational instrument of the highest value to our people. At a time when 

 we are indebted to him for this priceless collection, it is but proper I 

 think to publicly recognize the constant interest which Mr. Petrie has 

 shown in our efibrt. 



Dr. D. G. Brinton sajd : 



The chipped flints which have been exhibited appear to be of widely 

 iiiflferent ages, those from the tombs showing scarcely any patina, while 

 the two from the surface of the plateau are covered with a thick, white, 

 weather-wearing. Of course, allowance must be made for the constant 



