A CONCISE DICTIONARY OF EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY.
A Concise Dictionary of Egyptian Archaeology. By M. Brodriok and A. Anderson Morton. 80 Illustrations. (Methuen and Co. 3s ad.) —This is a serviceable pocket-book for travellers in Egypt, who will not only find many terms and names explained that might puzzle them in their ordinary guide-books, but will also gather a good deal of miscellaneous information ;tot easily found in any single work. Besides, of couraci, descriptions of the attributes and pictorial representation of the Egyptian divinities, and brief histories of the principal Kings and Queens, we find a useful list of the most celebrated papyri, notices of the trees, flowers, fish, and animals—oddly enough, not the birds collectively—found in Egyptian records, descriptions of the boats, musical instruments, metals, pigments, &c., lists of names and dynasties, and a variety of other matters. There is even an article on " Caste," which precisely corresponds to " snakes in Iceland." Among specially useful notices we may mention Alabaster, Amenti, Amulets (a capital list), Astronomy, Bricks, Cynocephalus, Dreams, Fish, Foundation Deposits, Ka, Labyrinth, Portraits, Pyramids, Serpents, Wool, Year. The articles are necessarily extremely brief, and the authors have shown as much skill in omitting needless explanations as in including the latest information. We find, for example, an article on the Israel Stela, and refer- ences to Petrie's discovery of jewellery at Abydos, and to the analysis of cobalt, which had formerly been considered an unknown pigment in Egypt. Miss Brodrick and her collaborator are cautious, however, in excluding any speculaticns on the "New Race." Punt. orientation. and other debatable points,
though there is an article on Libyans. Only rarely do they indulge their sense of humour—indeed in so small a compiles an archaeological joke must needs be compact—but writing of the Epagomenal Days they could not restrain themselves :—" The legend was that Thoth had invented them for the convenience of Nut. For that goddess, having fallen into the embraces of Seb, was cursed by her husband Rii, who swore that on no day of any year should she bring forth her children; but by the invention of these days she was rescued from her predicament" It could not be more neatly or discreetly said. Again, under " Hair Restorer" we read that "Queen Shesh, the mother of King Teta, of the VIth Dynasty, found an excellent remedy for the falling out of her hair in the following pomade, made of the hoof of a donkey, a dog's pad, and some date kernels, which were to be all boiled together in oil. To prevent the hair from becoming white, or to restore it to its youthful colour, a remedy could be made of the blood of
a black calf that had been boiled in The blood of the horn of a black bull' boiled in oil and made into an ointment was also useful for the same purpose." So was the fat of a black snake; and if you wanted the hair of a hated rival to fall out, all you had to do was " to boil together in oil the flower sepet and a par- ticular kind of worm," and get some minion to put it on the enemy's head. Very inconsiderately, Miss Brodrick does not identify this valuable worm; but after all, the application might be only labour thrown away, since there was always a handy antidote in the shape of a pomade of hippopotamus fat and pounded tortoiseshell, but it had to be applied " very, very often." As this little book is sure to go to future editions, we would suggest a few additions. Many of the names are given in their Greek forms, but not all ; for example, the familiar Cheops and Chephren are not even mentioned. They should certainly be included, with cross-references to Khufu and Khafra. On the other band, there should either be cross-references or an index for the hieroglyphic names which do not form the headings of articles. The whole dictionary needs more cross-references. For example, there is a heading, "Der el-Medineh " ; there should be also " Der el- Bahri : see Hatshepsut." Under Tanis should be a reference to Zaan. Beni Risen, as the best-known name, should be given with a reference to Spew, &c. Clear and accni ate as the descriptions generally are, we must invite the learned authoresses to pay a little more attention to the use of their pronouns. In the article " Horse " the use of " they " for " it " suggests that the Hyksos were " used for riding," and on p. 100 we are given to understand that "tradition says that" M. Linant "was followed by his seven sons in succession." In the same way a faulr. of punctuation produces the strange statement that "the two most celebrated lines of fortification are the one line in the Delta." Sir Gardiner Wilkinson (p. G6) has no " i " in the first name, which is correctly given in the well-arranged bibliography at the end. The little cuts are a good feature in an excellent little book.
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