676 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



This pillar is placed on two lions of stone, which were found at the same 

 time and in the same place, and which evidently had formed part of the 

 monument. These lions were loaned for this purpose by their, owner, M. de 

 Clercq, who kindly gave permission to make the casts of the pillar, and as- 

 sisted in the reconstruction of the monument. 



It might be of interest aud value to continue this history of writing 

 by quotations or condensations from the latest literature upon the 

 subject, among which might be mentioned the history of the alpha- 

 bet by Canon Isaac Taylor, Kosny's Les Ecritures Figuratives des Dif- 

 ferents Penples Anciens et Modernes, and Essai sur la Propagation de 

 1' Alphabet Phenicien dans l'Ancien Monde, by M. Francois Lenormant, 

 but the purpose of this paper being rather a report upon anthropology 

 at the French Exposition, would not admit thereof. I can not, how- 

 ever, conclude this sub- 

 ject without calling to the 

 attention of the reader 

 the late discoveries made 

 by Mr. W. Flinders Petrie 

 at Kahun in the Fayum, 

 Egypt, of many hundred 

 specimens of marks or 

 characters upon the pot- 

 tery, and occasionally 

 Tupon the wooden toys, 

 \ J I \\_ ornaments, or imple- 



\ / \ m j ments found by him and 



w assigned to the period of 



the twelfth dynasty, 2600 



B. C, and identified by 



the pyramids built by 



I have mentioned those marks in my description of these 



Fig. 99.— Possible alphabetic characters. (From Kahun, twelfth 

 dynasty, Egypt. Discovered by Mr. Flinders Petrie. Probably 

 the earliest alphabetic characters known— 2600 B. C.) 



Usertesen II 



Egyptian objects purchased by me from Mr. Petrie at London, and now 

 displayed in the National Museum. Tracings of some of them are 

 shown in Fig. 99. 



AMULETS. 



The polished stone hatchet is recognized almost all over Europe as 

 an amulet protective against lightning. It is called in many languages 

 "the stone of lightning," or "thunder stone." This belief pervades 

 western Europe, and it is no uncommon thing for peasants to deny any 

 kuowledge of the polished stone hatchet, because they do not know it 

 by that name. Many of these hatchets were drilled for suspension. 

 In this way they were intended to be carried sometimes about the 

 neck or on the person, or occasionally are hung at the bed head or 

 near it, with other votive offeriugs. When not drilled, they are put in 

 any ledge in the stones of the fireplace, occasionally laid upon the 



