ON PHYSICAL CHARACTERS OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. 227 
9416. A man with coronal suture beginning to close and sagittal 
half-closed. Big broad pentagonoid skull, the face being Dynastic- 
Egyptian in type, with Proto-Egyptian jaw. Three lower incisors 
removed at some time. L. 187, B. 141, F. 99, H. 139, T.F. 120, 
U.F. 74, Biz. 187 (established), Interorb. 27, R.O, 38x31, L.O. 
smashed, N. 52x20. 
9433. Sex uncertain. Temporal part of coronal suture closed. 
Mandible healthy and well worn. Left upper first molar and first 
premolar alveolar abscesses due to infection through the pulp cavities 
exposed by the wearing down of the teeth. Large abscess destroyed 
alveolus from second lower right molar to the premolars (inclusive). 
Small well-filled ovoid cranium. The nose has a somewhat flattened 
bridge, the jaw being rather a pronounced feature, typically Lower 
Meypuan, by. 171, B. 1382) F.90, H. 1315, Biz. 128, T.F. 106; 
U.F. 67, C.B. 98, F.B. 94, Interorb. 22, R.O. 39x 33, L.O. 37x31, 
N. 50X23 (moderately large orbits, not very oblique), Big. 86, 
Sym. 27, Sig. 52 (moderate outward curve of zygomatic processes). 
The Significance of these Data. 
In discussing the facts thus set forth I cannot refrain from 
expressing regret that it was not possible to examine each skeleton 
im situ in the tomb. For in removing human remains from tombs, 
not only does the material suffer considerable damage, but a great 
deal of the most valuable kind of evidence is destroyed. In this 
particular instance the loss of this opportunity is particularly regretted, 
because I feel sure important facts bearing upon the early practice of 
mummification might have been recovered. 
In making these remarks I am not unmindful of the fact that 
Mr. Quibell removed the material from the tombs into his workroom 
with the object of facilitating my work and enabling me to do as 
much as possible in the limited time which I was able to spend upon 
this work at Saqqara. 
Apart from supplying what is perhaps the earliest evidence of 
attempts ab mummification (see the account of No. 2262 above), this 
group of remains has also provided the earliest known instances of 
symmetrical thinning of the parietal bones not due to senile changes. 
That this parietal atrophy was not due to old age is quite certain, 
because the best-marked case occurred in the skull of a young woman 
(No. 2323 C) who could not have been much more than thirty years 
of age. This is interesting in view of the fact that such parietal 
thinning has not hitherto been known to occur at so early a period, 
although it became exceedingly common in the Pyramid Age, two 
Dynasties later. Its causation seems to be associated with the habit 
of constantly wearing heavy wigs, which by pressure affect the 
blood supply of the parietal bones.® 
Another interesting feature of the material discussed in this report 
is the rarity of dental caries, which became so common and wrought 
such appalling havoc in the successors of these people of Memphis a 
® Blliot Smith, ‘The Causation of the Symmetrical Thinning of the 
Parietal Bones in Ancient Egyptians,’ Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, 
vol. xli., 1907. 
Q 2 
