Reviews — John Ball — Phosphates of Egypt. 425 



animals on stone, bone, horn, and ivory, from cavern deposits of 

 Palaeolithic age, are vi'ell known, and figure stones have been 

 regarded as "first attempts at sculpture by Prehistoric Man". In 

 considering the subject it is especially interesting to knovp" that 

 Boucher de Perthes in 1849 had figured flints suggestive of animal 

 forms, and later on in 1861 (as pointed out by Mr. Newton) he drew 

 attention to the importance of observing whether the stones had 

 been notched or otherwise chipped so as to indicate the handiwork 

 of man. 



It was early in 1902 that Mr. Newton discovered his first figure 

 stone from the Dartford gravel. The deposit there is about 18 feet 

 thick and about 65 feet above O.D., and Mr. Newton obtained 

 permission to collect any curious stones and to receive the aid of the 

 workmen in putting aside similar specimens. At the end of the year 

 the pit would have been closed, but as " such remarkable examples 

 of figure stones with intentional work upon them " had been 

 obtained, Mr. Newton arranged to work the pit at his own expense, 

 and for a further period of five years some 5,000 tons of gravel were 

 excavated and examined. He remarks that "At an early period of 

 my enquiry it became evident that I had chanced upon the site of 

 a Palaeolithic settlement of great antiquity — implements, cup-stones 

 with worked rims, rings of flint, anvils (so-called), and many curious 

 shapes in worked flint made their appearance ; among the latter the 

 forms of animal heads predominated, the cups taking next place in 

 point of numbers, implements [occurring] in very small quantity 

 considering the vast amount of gravel excavated". At Swanscombe, 

 on the other hand, the gravels have yielded numerous implements 

 but very few cup -stones, and rarely a figure stone. Thus 

 ^Ir. Newton points to the two settlements as affording evidence of 

 distinct industries. It is indeed remarkable that the figure stones 

 should be thus locally abundant, a fact which supports the view that 

 many wez'e intentionally gathered together by man. 



The careful particulars given by the author, and his impartial 

 explanation of them, deserve all consideration. 



V. — Phosphates of Egypt. 



TOPOGEAPHT AND GeOLOGY OF THE PhOSPHATE DISTRICT OF SaFAGA 



(Eastkkn Deseet of Egypt). By John Ball, D.Sc, F.Gt.S., 

 Ministry of Einance. Survey Department, Egypt. Paper No. 29. 

 Cairo, 1913. 



SAEAGA is a small district on the Bed Sea just to the south of the 

 Gulf of Suez. The phosphate deposits occur on either side of 

 the Wadi at distances of from 12 to 22 kilometres inland. The 

 Ura-el-Huetat mines are connected by railway with the port, and 

 the climate is said to be extremely healthy. The geology consists of 

 Alluvial beds, Eocene limestones, etc., Upper Cretaceous limestones 

 and marls. Phosphate beds and cherts, also of Upper Cretaceous age, 

 Nubian sandstones, and Crystalline rocks. Fossils are scarce, but 

 " the beds are doubtless of Danian age ". Maps, sections, and views 

 accompany the paper, which concludes with a complete list of all 

 publications issued by the Survey Department up to date. 



