Manchester Me mows, Vol. Ix. (191 6), No. 12. 5 



at a very early period in their history. In their search 

 for the Red Sea cowries, and other shells, used as 

 desirable objects for placing in the graves of the dead in 

 Pre-dynastic and later times, they must have soon become 

 familiar with the mother-of-pearl shell. 5 



According to Kunz and Stevenson {op. cit., p. 6) the 

 pearl-shell was in use as an ornament in ancient Egypt as 

 early as the Vlth dynasty. In investigating the ruins of 

 ancient Thebes, Dr. J, T. Dennis discovered several of 

 these shells bearing cartouches of that period. In graves 

 of the xilth dynasty, Red Sea pearl-shells have been 

 found engraved with the name of Senusert I. 6 These 

 shells are perforated with two holes for wearing as a 

 pectoral pendant, as in the Pacific Islands and elsewhere. 

 In the ' pan graves ' of the same period, mother-of pearl 

 bracelets occurred made of narrow strips of shell, per- 

 forated at each end and threaded together, thus forming a 

 flexible band. 7 Similar discoveries have been made in 

 Nubia 8 



The presence of the marine pearl-shell in Egypt has 

 been looked upon by some authorities as indicating an 

 early trade with India. On this point Lacouperie 9 re- 

 marks : " Commercial relations between the Kushite 

 emporia of South Arabia, the West coast of India, and 



5 It is of interest to note that the use of cowries is intimately associated 

 with that of pearls in most of the area occupied by the megalithic culture. 



6 W. M. Flinders Petrie, "Amulets," London, 1914, p. 27, pi. xliv., 

 fig. 112a. An exactly similar specimen, engraved with the same name, from 

 Kifeh, 1907, is in the Manchester Museum. 



7 W. M. Flinders Petrie, ' ' Diospolis Parva, The Cemeteries of Abadiyeh 

 and Hu, 1898-9," 1901, p. 46, pi. xl. 



8 G. A. Reisner, "The Archaeological Survey of Nubia." Report for 

 1907-08, vol. i., Archaeological Report, Cairo, 1910, p. 54, pi. 70/;. 



T. de Lacouperie, " Western Origin of the Early Chinese Civilisation," 

 London, 1894, pp. 97-98. 



