H. J. L. Beadnell — Flint Implements from Fayum, Egypt. 55 



in the comparatively restricted area in the north part. This part of 

 the desert is covered with deposits indubitably laid down on the 

 floor of a great lake — lacustrine sands, clays and marls full of the 

 remains of fresh-water shells, fish, hippopotami, sheep, etc. The 

 limits of the former lake are clearly defined, and the flint implements 

 are almost wholly restricted to this area. They are very rarely 

 found in the surrounding desert, and are most common along the 

 outer fringe of the ancient lake. Nearly all the figured specimens 

 were picked up on the surface of these lacustrine deposits, which 

 are very soft, and are being rapidly cut up by wind-borne sand. 

 The implements in nearly all cases show no signs of staining or 

 patination, the upper and under sides being almost indistinguishable ; 

 they are quite fresh and unworn, and little polished by sand, 

 exhibiting in fact no evidence of having been long exposed. I think 

 there is no doubt that they have weathered out of the deposits 

 themselves, although they have never as yet been actually discovered 

 in situ. The people who used these flints certainly lived on the 

 borders of this lake, which teemed with fish, hippo, and crocodiles. 



Bosalt jilateaiii 

 Jebel el Qatra'\ 



v^,/ 



Scale ioo.oon 





Map of the northern part of the Fayum, where the flint implements were found. 



The presence of these deposits is alone sufficient to show the 

 former existence of a great lake covering the floor of the Fayum 

 depression. It is quite certain also that the water of the lake was 

 derived from the high floods of the Nile in the adjoining valley, 



