THE EARLY TEMPLE AND PYRAMID BUILDERS.* 



By J. Norman Lockyeb. 



I have in previous articles discussed the orientation of many temples 

 in various parts of Egypt. It will have been seen that it has been pos- 

 sible to divide them into solar and stellar temples, and that in the case 

 of the former both solstices and equinoxes have been in question, 



I have also referred to the very considerable literature which already 

 existsas to the pyramids, and shownhow the most carefully constructed 

 among them are invariably oriented truly to the four cardinal points, 

 and further that it is possible that some parts of their structures might 

 have served some astronomical purpose, since astronomical methods 

 must certainly have been employed in their construction. 



It has also been suggested that the fundamental difference between 

 solstitial and equinoctial worships, indicated by the solstitial temples 

 and the pyramids, required nothing less than a difference of race to 

 explain it. I propose now to inquire if there be any considerations 

 which can be utilized to continue the discussion of the question thus 

 raised on purely astronomical grounds. It is obvious that, if sufficient 

 tradition exists to permit us to associate the various structures which 

 have been studied astronomically Avith definite periods of Egyptian 

 history, a study of the larger outlines of that history will enable us to 

 determine whether or not the critical changes in dynasties and rulers 

 were or were not associated with critical changes in astronomical ideas 

 as revealed by changes in temple worship. If there be no connection, 

 the changes may have been due to a change of idea only, and the sug- 

 gestion of a distinction of race falls to the ground. 



In a region of inquiry where the facts are so few and difficult to recog- 

 nize among a mass of myths and traditions, to say nothing of contra- 

 dictory assertions by different authors, the more closely we adhere to 

 a rigidly scientific method of inquiry the better. I propose to show 

 therefore that there is one working hypothesis which seems to include 

 a great many of the facts, and I hope to give the hypothesis and the facts 

 in such a way that if there be anything inaccurately or incompletely 



* From Nature. May 18, 1893 ; vol. XLViii, pp. 55-58, 



95 



