Asregardsarchitecture，wefindnotonlythepyramids，whichdatefromtheveryearliestperiodofEgyptianhistory，andwhicharetothishourthewonderoftheworldforsize，forboldness，forexactness，andforskilfulcontrivance，butalsothetemples，withlongrangesofcolossalcolumnswroughtinpolishedgranite，withwonderfulbeautyofornamentation，witharchitravesandroofsvastinsizeandexquisiteinadjustment，whichbytheirproportionstaxtheimagination，andleadthebeholdertoaskwhetherallthiscanbereal。
Astosculpture，wehavenotonlythegreatSphinxofGizeh，somarvellousinitsboldnessanddignity，datingfromtheveryfirstperiodofEgyptianhistory，butwehaverangesofsphinxes，heroicstatues，andbas-reliefs，showingthatevenintheearlyagesthisbranchofarthadreachedanamazingdevelopment。
Asregardstheperfectionofthese，Lubke，themosteminentGermanauthorityonplasticart，referringtotheearlyworksinthetombsaboutMemphis，declaresthat，“asmonumentsoftheperiodofthefourthdynasty，theyareanevidenceofthehighperfectiontowhichthesculptureoftheEgyptianshadattained。”
Brugschdeclaresthat“everyartisticproductionofthoseearlydays，whetherpicture，writing，orsculpture，bearsthestampofthehighestperfectioninart。”Maspero，themosteminentFrenchauthorityinthisfield，whileexpressinghisbeliefthattheSphinxwassculpturedevenbeforethetimeofMena，declaresthat“theartwhichconceivedandcarvedthisprodigiousstatuewasafinishedart——anartwhichhadattainedself-masteryandwassureofitseffects“；while，amongthemoreeminentEnglishauthorities，Saycetellsusthat“artisatitsbestintheageofthepyramid-builders。”andSirJamesFergussondeclares，“WearestartledtofindEgyptianartnearlyasperfectintheoldestperiodsasinanyofthelater。”
TheevidenceastothehighdevelopmentofEgyptiansculptureintheearlierdynastiesbecomeseverydaymoreoverwhelming。WhatexquisitegeniustheearlyEgyptiansculptorsshowedintheirlesserstatuesisknowntoallwhohaveseenthosemostpreciousspecimensinthemuseumatCairo，whichwerewroughtbeforetheconventionaltypewasadoptedinobediencetoreligiousconsiderations。
Indecorativeandespeciallyinceramicart，asearlyasthefourthandfifthdynasties，wehavevases，cups，andothervesselsshowingexquisitebeautyofoutlineandageneralsenseofformalmostifnotquiteequaltoEtruscanandGrecianworkofthebestperiods。
Take，next，astronomy。GoingbacktotheveryearliestperiodofEgyptiancivilization，wefindthatthefoursidesoftheGreatPyramidareadjustedtothecardinalpointswiththeutmostprecision。”Thedayoftheequinoxcanbetakenbyobservingthesunsetacrossthefaceofthepyramid，andtheneighbouringArabsadjusttheirastronomicaldatesbyitsshadow。”YetthisisbutoneoutofmanyfactswhichprovethattheEgyptians，attheearliestperiodofwhichtheirmonumentsexist，hadarrivedatknowledgeandskillonlyacquiredbylongagesofobservationandthought。Mr。Lockyer，AstronomerRoyalofGreatBritain，hasrecentlyconvincedhimself，aftercarefulexaminationofvariousruinedtemplesatThebesandelsewhere，thattheywereplacedwithreferencetoobservationsofstars。Tostatehisconclusioninhisownwords：“Thereseemsaveryhighprobabilitythatthreethousand，andpossiblyfourthousand，yearsbeforeChristtheEgyptianshadamongthemmenwithsomeknowledgeofastronomy，andthatsixthousandyearsagothecourseofthesunthroughtheyearwaspracticallyverywellknown，andmethodshadbeeninventedbymeansofwhichintimeitmightbebetterknown；
andthat，notverylongafterthat，theynotonlyconsideredquestionsrelatingtothesun，butbegantotakeupotherquestionsrelatingtothepositionandmovementofthestars。”
ThesameviewoftheantiquityofmanintheNilevalleyisconfirmedbyphilologists。TousethewordsofMaxDuncker：
“TheoldestmonumentsofEgypt——andtheyaretheoldestmonumentsintheworld——exhibittheEgyptianinpossessionoftheartofwriting。”Itisfoundalso，bytheinscriptionsoftheearlydynasties，thattheEgyptianlanguagehadevenatthatearlytimebeendevelopedinallessentialparticularstothehighestpointiteverattained。Whatlongperiodsitmusthaverequiredforsuchadevelopmenteveryscholarinphilologycanimagine。
Asregardsmedicalscience，wehavetheBerlinpapyrus，which，althoughofalaterperiod，referswithcarefulspecificationtoamedicalliteratureofthefirstdynasty。
Asregardsarchaeology，theearliestknowninscriptionspointtostillearliereventsandbuildings，indicatingalongsequenceinprevioushistory。
Astoallthatpertainstothehistoryofcivilization，nomanoffairandopenmindcangointothemuseumsofCairoortheLouvreortheBritishMuseumandlookatthemonumentsofthoseearlierdynastieswithoutseeinginthemtheresultsofadevelopmentinart，science，laws，customs，andlanguage，whichmusthaverequiredavastperiodbeforethetimeofMena。Andthisconclusionisforceduponusallthemoreinvinciblywhenweconsidertheslowgrowthofideasintheearlierstagesofcivilizationascomparedwiththelater——aslownessofgrowthwhichhaskeptthenativesofmanypartsoftheworldinthatearliestcivilizationtothishour。TothiswemustaddthefactthatEgyptiancivilizationwasespeciallyimmobile：itsdevelopmentintocastesisbutoneamongmanyevidencesthatitwastheveryoppositeofacivilizationdevelopedrapidly。
AstothelengthoftheperiodbeforethetimeofMena，thereis，ofcourse，nothingexact。Manethogiveslistsofgreatpersonagesbeforethatfirstdynasty，andtheseextendovertwenty-fourthousandyears。Bunsen，oneofthemostlearnedofChristianscholars，declaresthatnotlessthantenthousandyearswerenecessaryforthedevelopmentofcivilizationuptothepointwherewefinditinMena’stime。Noonecanclaimprecisionforeitherofthesestatements，buttheyarevaluableasshowingtheimpressionofvastantiquitymadeuponthemostcompetentjudgesbythecarefulstudyofthoseremains：nounbiasedjudgecandoubtthatanimmenselylongperiodofyearsmusthavebeenrequiredforthedevelopmentofcivilizationuptothestateinwhichwetherefindit。
TheinvestigationsinthebedoftheNileconfirmtheseviews。
Thatsomeunwarrantedconclusionshaveattimesbeenannouncedistrue；butthefactremainsthatagainandagainrudepotteryandotherevidencesofearlystagesofcivilizationhavebeenfoundinboringsatplacessodistantfromeachother，andatdepthssogreat，thatforsucharangeofconcurringfacts，consideredinconnectionwiththerateofearthydepositbytheNile，thereisnoadequateexplanationsavetheexistenceofmaninthatvalleythousandsonthousandsofyearsbeforethelongesttimeadmittedbyoursacredchronologists。
Norhavetheseinvestigationsbeenofacarelesscharacter。
Betweentheyears1851and1854，Mr。Horner，anextremelycautiousEnglishgeologist，sankninety-sixshaftsinfourrowsatintervalsofeightEnglishmiles，atrightanglestotheNile，intheneighbourhoodofMemphis。Inthesepotterywasbroughtupfromvariousdepths，andbeneaththestatueofRamesesIIatMemphisfromadepthofthirty-ninefeet。AttherateoftheNiledepositacarefulestimatehasdeclaredthistoindicateaperiodofovereleventhousandyears。SoeminentaGermanauthority，ingeographyasPeschelcharacterizesobjectionstosuchdeductionsasgroundless。Howeverthismaybe，thegeneralresultsoftheseinvestigations，takeninconnectionwiththeotherresultsofresearch，areconvincing。
And，finally，asiftomakeassurancedoublysure，aseriesofarchaeologistsofthehigheststanding，French，German，English，andAmerican，havewithinthepasttwentyyearsdiscoveredrelicsofasavageperiod，ofvastlyearlierdatethanthetimeofMena，prevailingthroughoutEgypt。Theserelicshavebeendiscoveredinvariouspartsofthecountry，fromCairotoLuxor，ingreatnumbers。Theyarethesamesortofprehistoricimplementswhichprovetoustheearlyexistenceofmaninsomanyotherpartsoftheworldatageologicalperiodsoremotethatthefiguresgivenbyoursacredchronologistsarebuttrivial。Thelastandmostconvincingofthesediscoveries，thatofflintimplementsinthedrift，fardownbelowthetombsofearlykingsatThebes，anduponhighterracesfarabovethepresentbedoftheNile，willbereferredtolater。
ButitisnotinEgyptalonethatproofsarefoundoftheutterinadequacyoftheentirechronologicalsystemderivedfromoursacredbooks。TheseresultsofresearchinEgyptarestrikinglyconfirmedbyresearchinAssyriaandBabylonia。Prof。Sayceexhibitsvariousproofsofthis。Tousehisownwordsregardingoneoftheseproofs：“OntheshelvesoftheBritishMuseumyoumayseehugesun-driedbricks，onwhicharestampedthenamesandtitlesofkingswhoerectedorrepairedthetempleswheretheyhavebeenfound……Theymust……havereignedbeforethetimewhen，accordingtothemarginsofourBibles，theFloodofNoahwascoveringtheearthandreducingsuchbricksasthesetotheirprimevalslime。”
Thisconclusionwassoonplacedbeyondadoubt。Thelistsofking’sandcollateralinscriptionsrecoveredfromthetemplesofthegreatvalleybetweentheTigrisandEuphrates，andtherecordsofastronomicalobservationsinthatregion，showedthatthere，too，apowerfulcivilizationhadgrownupataperiodfarearlierthancouldbemadeconsistentwithoursacredchronology。
ThescienceofAssyriologywasthuscombinedwithEgyptologytofurnishonemoreconvincingproofthat，preciousasarethemoralandreligioustruthsinoursacredbooksandthehistoricalindicationswhichtheygiveus，thesetruthsandindicationsarenecessarilyinclosedinasettingofmythandlegend。[184]
[184]AstoManetho，see，foraveryfullaccountofhisrelationstootherchronologists，Palmer，EgyptianChronicles，vol。i，chap。ii。Foramorerecentandreadableaccount，seeBrugsch，EgyptunderthePharaohs，Englishedition，London，1879，chap。iv。ForlistsofkingsatAbydosandelsewhere，alsothelistsofarchitects，seeBrugsch，Palmer，Mariette，andothers；
alsoillustrationsinLepsius。Forproofsthatthedynastiesgivenwereconsecutiveandnotcontemporeaneous，aswasoncesofondlyarguedbythosewhotriedtosaveArchbishopUsher’schronology，seeMariette；alsoSayce’sHerodotus，appendix，p。
316。Forthevariousracetypesgivenonearlymonuments，seethecolouredengravingsinLepsius，Denkmaler；alsoPrissed’Avennes，andthefrontpieceintheEnglisheditionofBrugsch；
seealsostatementregardingthesamesubjectinTylor，Anthropology，chap。i。ForthefulnessofdevelopmentofEgyptiancivilizationintheearliestdynasties，seeRawlinson’sEgypt，London，1881，chap。xiii；alsoBrugschandotherworkscited。FortheperfectionofEgyptianengineering，Irelynotmerelyuponmyownobservation，butonwhatisfarmoreimportant，thetestimonyofmyfriendtheHon。J。G。Batterson，probablythelargestandmostexperiencedworkeringraniteintheUnitedStates，whoacknowledges，frompersonalobservation，thattheearlyEgyptianworkis，inboldnessandperfection，farbeyondanythingknownsince，andasourceofperpetualwondertohim。AstotheperfectionofEgyptianarchitecture，seeverystrikingstatementsinFergusson，HistoryofArchitecture，booki，chap。i。Astothepyramids，showingaveryhighgradeofculturealreadyreachedundertheearliestdynasties，seeLubke，Gesch。derArch。，booki。ForSayce’sviews，seehisHerodotus，appendix，p。348。Astosculpture，seeforrepresentationsphotographspublishedbytheBoulakMuseum，andsuchworksastheDescriptiondel’Egypte，Lepsius’sDenkmaler，andPrissed’Avennes；seealsoamostsmallwork，easyofaccess，Maspero，Archeology，translatedbyMissA。B。Edwards，NewYorkandLondon，1887，chaps。iandii。SeeespeciallyinPrisse，vol。
ii，thestatueofChafretheScribe，andthegroupof“Tea“andhiswife。AstotheartisticvalueoftheSphinx，seeMaspero，asabove，pp。202，203。SeealsosimilarideasinLubke’sHistoryofSculpture，vol。i，p。24。AstoastronomicalknowledgeevidencedbytheGreatPyramid，seeTylor，asabove，p。
21；alsoLockyer，OnSomePointsintheEarlyHistoryofAstronomy，inNaturefor1891，andespeciallyintheissuesofJune4thandJuly2d；alsohisDawnofAstronomy，passim。ForarecentandconservativestatementastothedateofMena，seeFlindersPetrie，HistoryofEgypt，London，1894，chap。ii。Fordelineationsofvases，etc。，showingGrecianproportionandbeautyofformunderthefourthandfifthdynasties，seePrisse，vol。ii，ArtIndustriel。Astothephilologicalquestion，andthedevelopmentoflanguageinEgypt，withthehieroglyphicsytemofwriting，seeRawlinson’sEgypt，London，1881，chap。xii；
alsoLenormanr；alsoMaxDuncker，GeschichtedesAlterthums，Abbott’stranslation，1877。AstothemedicalpapyrusofBerlin，seeBrugsch，vol。i，p。58，butespeciallythePapyrusEbers。AstothecorruptionoflatercopiesofManethoandfidelityoforiginalsasattestedbythemonuments，seeBrugsch，chap。iv。
OntheaccuracyofthepresentEgyptianchronologyasregardslongperiods，seeibid，vol。i，p。32。AstothepotteryfounddeepintheNileandthevalueofHorner’sdiscovery，seePeschel，RacesofMan，NewYork，1876，pp。42-44。Forsuccinctstatement，seealsoLaing，ProblemsoftheFuture，p。94。ForconfirmatoryproofsfromAssyriology，seeSayce，LecturesontheReligionoftheBabyloniansHibbertLecturesfor1887，London，1887，introductorychapter，andespeciallypp。21-25。SeealsoLaing，HumanOrigins，chap。ii，foranexcellentsummary。ForanaccountofflintimplementsrecentlyfoundingravelterracesfifteenhundredfeetabovethepresentleveloftheNile，andshowingevidencesofanagevastlygreatereventhanthosedugoutofthegravelatThebes，seearticlebyFlindersPetrieinLondonTimesofApril18th，1895。