FLOOR.] 
NORTH-WEST STAIRCASE. 
109 
NORTHERN VESTIBULE. 
In this apartment are placed monuments of the first twelve 
dynasties of Egyptian monarchs. Though small in size, they have 
considerable interest, being the most ancient sculptures preserved in the 
Museum ; and they show that art had made great progress in the early 
times to ^vhich they belong. The sculptures are principally of the 4th 
and 12th dynasties. 
The 4th was distinguished by the high civilization that prevailed 
in Egypt during its rule. Its monarchs conquered Arabia, and built 
the pyramids as royal sepulchres. Among the monuments may bo 
noticed some of the casing-stones of the pyramids, and a coloured 
statue found in a tomb at Gizeh. 
The 12th dynasty excavated the Mceris Lake, built the Labyrinth, 
the city of Abydos, and the fortress of Semneh, and conquered 
Nubia or Ethiopia. Of this dynasty is a mutilated statue of King 
An, dedicated by King Osortesen, or Usertesen 1. 
Over the East doorway is a plaster cast from the head of the most 
Northern colossal statue of Rameses IL at Ibsamboul, placed here 
owing to the want of space in the Central Saloon. 
NORTH-WEST STAIRCASE. 
On the staircase are pkced Egyptian Papyri, ^vhich are 
documents of various character, inscribed on rolls formed of 
slices of the papyrus plant. They show the three forms 
of writing in use among the Egyptians : — 1. The Hieroglyphic, 
in which all the characters, or figures, are separately and dis- 
tinctly defined. 2. The ffi67'a^/c, in which the same characters 
are represented in what may be termed a running hand. 
3. The Demotic, or Enchorial, a still more cursive form, in 
wliicli the language of the common people was written ; it 
was principally employed in civil transactions during the Ptole- 
maic period, and continued in use to the 3rd or 4th century 
of our sera. 
The papyri exhibited present chiefly portions and extracts from the 
Ritual of the Dead, the small pictures in them referring to the subjects 
of the various chapters; others are solar litanies and magical tracts. 
Amongst tliem is a caricature, and a treatise on arithmetic and geometry, 
one on medicine, with recipes of the age of Cheops, the romantic tale 
of a doomed prince, songs, dirges, criminal reports, and several con- 
tracts or deeds of sale in the demotic chnracter. 
