322 MR. HORNER'S 



depth of 39 feet, a piece of pottery was found, which upon the 

 above data would indicate an antiquity of about 13,000 years. 



In many other excavations, pieces of pottery and other 

 indications of man were found at even greater depths, but it 

 must be confessed that there are several reasons which 

 render the calculations very doubtful. For instance, it is 

 impossible to ascertain how far the pedestal of the statue 

 was inserted into the ground ; Mr. Horner has allowed 14 J 

 inches, but if it was much deeper, the rate of dejx>sition 

 would be diminished, and the age increased. On the other 

 hand, if the statue was on raised ground, of course the reverse 

 would be the case. 



Moreover, it has been argued that the ancient Egyptians 

 were in the habit of enclosing with embankments, the areas 

 on which they erected temples, statues, etc., so as to keep 

 out the waters of the Nile. 



Whenever, then, says Sir Charles Lyell, "the waters at 

 length break into such depressions, they must at first carry 

 with them into the enclosure much mud washed from the 

 steep surrounding banks, so that a greater quantity would be 

 deposited in a few years than, perhaps, in as many centuries 

 on the great plain outside the depressed area, where no such 

 disturbing causes intervened/' But the rapidity of depo- 

 sition will be in proportion to the previous retardation, and 

 will only tend to bring the depressed area up to the general 

 level. Supposing, for instance, that the monument of 

 Rameses, erected on the flat plain of Memphis 3200 years 

 ago, was protected by embankments for the first 2000 years, 

 and that during that time the plain outside was gradually 

 raised five feet ten inches, being at the rate of three and a 

 half inches in a century. When the embankment gave 

 way, the space enclosed would soon be filled up to the 

 general level, and a thickness of five feet ten inches might 

 be deposited in a few years : still this exceptionally rapid 



