THE AGE OF BRONZE IN EGYPT. 513 



is unreliable, aud so iiiucli the less probable, iuasmiicb as the blade iu 

 nowise recalls Egyptian poniards, but, on the contrary, resembles many 

 European swords of bronze. 



The Enyptians, like other nations, made use of lances. On Egy])tian 

 monuments these arms are sometimes seen provided with very short 

 handles.* 



Bronze barbs are also found, but not in large numbers, in the collec- 

 tion of Egyptian anticiuities. One of these is exhibited in Fig. 41; the 

 long socket is formed by a fold so that a lengthj^ fissure is seen.t 



Bronze lances, the sockets of which are formed in this primitive 

 manner, have not only been discovered in Egypt, but also in Cyprus 

 and Oreece. Some of the lance points of Egyptian bronze have a very 

 narrow barb, others are of greater width. | 



As innumerable representations demonstrate, the bow played a 

 prominent riMe among the Egyptians, both in war and in tbe chase. 

 Consequently, a large quantity of arrow points of bronze have been 

 found. A goodly number of them have a stalk, by means of which 

 they are attached to the stali" (Fig. 23). They are often also ornamented 

 with two long projectio ns from the barb (Fig. 24). Others are pro- 

 vided with a socket (Fig. 22). Sometimes the sockets of the arrows (Fig. 

 21) are formed b^' folding back the edges of the lower portion ; that is, 

 iu the same manner as in the cases of the sockets for the lance barbs. 



A large proportion of Egyptian arrow points are made with three 

 sharp edges. Such barbs are freijuent in western Asia and Greece, 

 where they belong to epochs comparatively recent. 



Sometimes upon Egyptian monuments the arrow points have a 

 transversal edge (Fig. 25), the red color of which makes us apprehend 

 they were of bronze. 



Arrow points of silex with a transversal edge have been found in 

 Egypt and in some European countries, such as France and southern 

 Sweden. 



Amongst the bronze implements it is necessary to remark, besides 

 the axes already mentioned, chisels (Fig. 39), knives (Fig. 42), saws (Fig. 

 44), drills, awls (Fig. 4G), small pincers, hooks (Fig. 4.")), etc. A large 

 number of them have still retained their handles of wood or horn. Just 



*P6rrot and Chipiez. Oiivr. cit., vol. i, Fig. 173. Comp. Wilkinson, Manners and 

 Cmfoms, p. 201. The points are often painted red, and consequently were of bronzt^. 

 (Lep.sias, Les Metaiix),F\. ii, Figs. 4 and 12. 



t The original of Fig. 41 belongs to the museum at Boulaq. The rent is not only to 

 be tseen upon the socket part, which is below the commencement of the bbule, but 

 ako above it. A similar lance point of Theban bronze forms a part of the collection 

 of Mr. Greenwell at Durham. Compare, M6moires de la SociMe royale des Antiquaires 

 dit Xord. 187;i-'74, p. 128, Fig. 3. 



t The Louvre possesses an Egyptian lance point of bronze, the blade of whicii is 

 not so narrow as Miat iu Fig. 41, nor of an eijual width. Still wider is a lance point 

 whith belongs to the Berlin Museum (Wilkinson, Mainios and Custonifi, vol. i, p. 

 312. Fig. :M«). a lance point with a l)lade of unusual length, wide at bottom, but 

 narrow at the top, is represented in the work l;i>>t cited, vol. i, p. 40(5, 



H. Mis. 129 33 



