lO ANCIENT EGYPT. 



ANCIENT EGYPT. 



Natural History, ^'C. History and Chronology. Architecture. 

 The Temple, as illustrated, mainly, by the ruins of Karnak. 



A lecture delivered before the Natural History Society on 

 January 20th, 1903, by R. C. Clephan, F.S.A. 



Egyptology is a science, vast, and far-reaching ; covering, as 

 it does, a period of ancient history and experience of five 

 thousand years or more; furnishing many parallels and 

 valuable lessons for our guidance; and exhibiting so many 

 springs of religious thought. It comes, perhaps, only second 

 in human interest to natural science ; and has points of 

 contact with it, more especially in the intimate connection 

 of Egyptian symbolism with objects in nature. 



Geology, 



The geological features of the country shortly summarized 

 are as follows. The deposit left by the Nile varies in thick- 

 ness, but may be said to average about 30 feet, and the land 

 would appear to be gradually rising. This long oasis, so to 

 speak, is bordered on either side by hills ; which from Cairo 

 southwards, nearly as far as Edfoo, are composed of 

 nummulite or magnesian limestone : beyond is mostly 

 " Nubian " sandstone, through which the beautiful rose 

 granite of Syene crops up at Assouan. This granite is used 

 in the construction of the Nile dam at the first cataract. 



Natural History. 



Among the domestic animals now in the country are the 

 horse, camel, ass, buffalo, ox, sheep, goat, swine, the dog and 

 cat, the turkey, goose, pigeon, and hen. The gazelle, oryx, 

 ibex, and even wildfowl are shown on the many agricultural 

 and pastoral scenes as being domesticated, but neither the 

 camel, sheep, buffalo, nor hen is mentioned on the monu- 

 ments, or in papyri ; while the horse first appears on inscrip- 

 tions after the campaigns of Thotmes I. in Asia, about B.C. 



