Reviews — Dr. H. 0. Forbes — Stone Implements of Egyj^t. 327 



right bank of the Nile opposite El Fent, which is on the Cairo- 

 Assiout railroad, half-way between the stations of Feshn and 

 Maghag-ha. Rising up from the Wady el Sheikh are the escarpments 

 of three successive plateaux (the lowest about 400 feet high, the 

 highest about 700 feet). They consist of Cretaceous (latest) lime- 

 stone below and Eocene (Nummulitic) limestone above, all bearing 

 flint nodules. 



The worked flints occur in either isolated or continuous heaps of 

 debris thrown out from the many quarries or mines, either on the 

 edges or the surface of the plateaux, mostly on the right side of the 

 Wady. Flint-workings had been cursorily noticed in this region by 

 Greg and Johnson. Mr. Seton-Karr, however, designedly visited 

 them, and made a careful survey. The mines or pits are about 

 two feet in diameter, and not deep, nor showing lateral galleries. 

 They ai-e more or less choked with blown sand. The excavated 

 material has been piled up around the mouth of the pit and the 

 implement-maker's workshop. Similar pits were examined by 

 Mr. H. Seton-Karr in 1896 in the Wady Sojoor, about ten miles 

 to the south. A serviceable map and six excellent photographic 

 views of the plateaux and their special features (pp. 81, 101-104:) 

 enable the reader to master the topographical details. 



Dr. H. 0. Forbes gives careful descriptions of a selection of 

 47 from the 2,000 specimens (pp. 78-80 and 97-105), together 

 with good clear figures, after photographs (pp. 82-96). The heaps 

 of refuse at the dilferent sinkings for the most part contained 

 different kinds of implements. The author's conclusions as to the 

 relative age and origin of the mines and specimens are careful, 

 liberal, and sound. 



Judging from the plates and the descriptive notes, we can 

 enumerate the several kinds of flint-work treated of. The author's 

 grouping is preserved : — 



a. Thin-edged discs ; in many cases neatly dressed on the surface 

 and perforated in the middle, the central opening being widened 

 until a narrow delicate ring has been worked out, for bangles, etc. 

 (Pages 78-80.) 



b. Axes, chisels, hoes, etc. ; of triangular shape (6 in. to 9 in. 

 long), broad at one end and tapering at the other (butt end). Broad 

 end sometimes subacute or somewhat narrowed by rounding ; thus 

 figs. 14 and 16 are variants ; the former has the broad end subacute, 

 the latter is narrower throughout. (Pages 80 and 97.) 



c. Leaf-shaped ; figs. 18 and 19 more symmetrically chipped ; 

 almost equally convex on the two faces ; more rounded at one end 

 than at the other. (Page 97.) 



d. Knife-like; figs. 20 to 35 (pages 97, 98). Many carefully 

 dressed flakes (about 6 in. to 9 in. long) good for cutting, flaying, 

 scraping, etc., with sharp edges, and having one edge more convex 

 than the other, but in some cases almost symmetrical and even quite 

 equal (fig. 24). Some, neat in shape, are like the Danish knives 

 and daggers ; others have a sharp-edged portion irregular in shape 

 (figs. 30-33), and the other part reduced by chipping to a narrow 



