28 Perry, Megalithic Monuments and Ancient Mines. 



due to chance. It cannot be contended that in these 

 places, in addition to Tuscany, with its immense gold 

 washings in the Po Valley, and Thrace and Macedonia 

 and the Troad, gold suddenly came to acquire a value as 

 currency. It can only be that most of these civilisations 

 sprang up on a gold basis. Since Egyptian civilisation 

 dates back furthest, it would seem that the Chaldean 

 civilisation and those of Asia Minor owe their existence, 

 directly or indirectly, to Egypt. 



In short the whole history of the influence of Egypt 

 upon the rest of the world covers a period to be counted 

 by thousands of years. Beginning perhaps with gold- 

 washing colonies in Chaldea and Asia Minor, themselves 

 destined to grow into mighty civilisations, and extending 

 thence wherever gold and other desired things were found, 

 this influence spread in a series of waves. The greatest 

 of these, the tidal wave which threw up the cargo of 

 customs and beliefs on the coasts of the remotest parts of 

 the world, reached its phase of maximum intensity at the 

 time when the Phoenicians, those apt pupils and amazing 

 adventurers and traffickers, reached the summit of their 

 activities, 



