ive
development of the tombs from the simplest pot-burial to a small brick
chamber, the embryo of the brick tombs of the Ist Dynasty. Among the
objects recovered from this site may be mentioned a pottery model of
oxen, a box in the shape of a model hut, and a slate "palette" with what
is perhaps the oldest Egyptian hieroglyph known, a representation of the
fetish-sign of the god Min, in relief. All these are preserved in the
British Museum. The skulls of the bodies found were carefully preserved
for craniometric examination.

In 1901 an extensive prehistoric cemetery was being excavated by Messrs.
Reisner and Lythgoe at Nag'ed-Der, opposite Girga, and at el-Ahaiwa,
further north, another prehistoric necropolis has been excavated by
these gentlemen, working for the University of California.

[Illustration: 027.jpg CAMP OF THE EXPEDITION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA AT NAG' ED-DER, 1901.]

The cemetery of Nag'ed-Der is of the usual prehistoric type, with its
multitudes of small oval graves, excavated just a little way below the
surface. Graves of this kind are the most primitive of all. Those at
el-'Amra are usually more developed, often, as has been noted, rising to
the height of regular brick tombs. They are evidently later, nearer to
the time of the Ist Dynasty. The position of the Nag'ed-Der cemetery is
also characteristic. It lies on the usual low ridge at the entrance to a
desert _wadi_, which is itself one of the most picturesque in this
part of Egypt, with its chaos of great boulders and fallen rocks. An
illustration of the camp of Mr. Reisner's expedition at Nag'ed-Der is
given above. The excavations of the University of California are carried
out with the greatest possible care and are financed with the greatest
possible liberality. Mr. Reisner has therefore been able to keep an
absolutely complete photographic record of everything, even down to
the successive stages in the opening of a tomb, which will be of the
greatest use to science when published.

For a detailed study of the antiquities of the prehistoric period the
publications of Prof. Petrie, Mr. Quibell, and Mr. Randall-Maclver are
more useful than that of M. de Morgan, who does not give enough details.
Every atom of evidence is given in the publications of the British
explorers, whereas it is a characteristic of French work to give
brilliant conclusions, beautifully illustrated, without much of the
evidence on which the conclusions are based. T