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CRANIA ÆGYPTIACA
OR,
OBSERVATIONS ON EGYPTIAN ETHNOGRAPHY,
DERIVED FROM
ANATOMY, HISTORY AND THE MONUMENTS.
BY
SAMUEL GEORGE MORTON, M.D.,
AUTHOR OF “CRANIA AMERICANA;” MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL
SOCIETY; VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF
PHILADELPHIA, ETC. ETC.
From the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. IX.
------------------
PHILADELPHIA:
JOHN PENINGTON, CHESTNUT STREET.
LONDON:
MADDEN & CO., LEADENHALL STREET.
1844.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WILLIAM S. YOUNG, PRINTER.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO
GEORGE R. GLIDDON, ESQ.,
LATE UNITED STATES CONSUL FOR THE CITY OF CAIRO; AUTHOR OF “ANCIENT
EGYPT;”
&c. &c. &c.,
THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
AS A MEMENTO
OF THE ESTEEM AND FRIENDSHIP OF
THE AUTHOR.
Philadelphia,
February 23, 1844.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OBSERVATIONS
ON
EGYPTIAN ETHNOGRAPHY,
DERIVED FROM
ANATOMY, HISTORY AND THE MONUMENTS.
------------------
_Read before the American Philosophical Society, in Philadelphia,
December 16, 1842, and January 6, and April 6, 1843._
------------------
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
Egypt is justly regarded as the parent of civilization, the cradle of
the arts, the land of mystery. Her monuments excite our wonder, and her
history confounds chronology; and the very people who thronged her
cities would be unknown to us, were it not for those vast sepulchres
whence the dead have arisen, as it were, to bear witness for themselves
and their country. Yet even now, the physical characteristics of the
ancient Egyptians are regarded with singular diversity of opinion by the
learned, who variously refer them to the Jews, Arabs, Hindoos, Nubians,
and Negroes. Even the details of organic structure have been involved in
the same uncertainty,—the configuration of the head, the position of the
ear, the form of the teeth, the colour of the skin, and the texture of
the hair; while the great question is itself undetermined—whether
civilization ascended or descended the Nile;—whether it had its origin
in Egypt or in Ethiopia. These conflicting opinions long since made me
desirous to investigate the subject for myself; but the many
difficulties in the way of obtaining adequate materials, compelled me to
suspend the inquiry; and it is only within a recent period that I have
been able effectively to resume it. It gives me great pleasure to state,
that my present facilities have been almost exclusively derived,
directly or indirectly, from the scientific zeal and personal friendship
of George R. Gliddon, Esq., late United States consul for the city of
Cairo. During a former visit to the United States, this gentleman
entered warmly into my views and wishes; and on his return to the East,
in 1838, he commenced his researches on my behalf; and in the course of
his various travels in Egypt and in Nubia, as far as the second
Cataract, he procured one hundred and thirty-seven human crania, of
which one hundred pertain to the ancient inhabitants of Egypt. Of these
last, seventeen were most obligingly sent me, at the instance of Mr.
Gliddon, by M. Clot Bey, the distinguished Surgeon in chief to the
Viceroy of Egypt. They are arranged by the latter gentleman into two
series, the Pharaonic, and the Ptolemaic; but without availing myself of
this classification, I have merely regarded them in reference to their
national characters.
Mr. Gliddon’s residence for the greater part of twenty-three years in
Egypt, and his varied official and other avocations, together with his
acquaintance with the people, and their languages, have given him
unusual facilities for collecting the requisite materials; while their
authenticity is amply vouched for by one who blends the character of a
gentleman with the attainments of a scholar.
The object of this memoir, therefore, will be to throw some additional
light on the questions to which I have adverted, and to ascertain, if
possible, the Ethnographic characters of the primitive Egyptians; or, in
other words, to point out their relative position among the races of
men.
It is necessary, however, to premise, that the materials in my
possession, were collected without the slightest bias of opinion on the
part of Mr. Gliddon, who, at the period in question, had paid no
particular attention to Ethnography; and indeed very many of these
crania were received by me in their original wrappings, which were first
removed, after the lapse of ages, by my own hands.
It is farther requisite to bear in mind, that, with a few exceptions I
have no clew whatever, whereby to ascertain or even to conjecture, the
epoch to which these remains have belonged. The Egyptian catacombs do
not always contain their original occupants; for these were often
displaced and the tombs re-sold for mercenary purposes: whence it
happens, that mummies of the Greek and Roman epochs have been found in
those more ancient receptacles which had received the bodies of Egyptian
citizens of a far earlier date. The bodies thus displaced, however,
_were not destroyed_; and the Egyptians of at least twenty-five
centuries before our era, though for the most part mingled without
regard to rank or epoch, are still preserved in their interminable
cemeteries.
I disclaim all knowledge of hieroglyphic literature; but I may express
my conviction that the past discoveries and pending researches of Young,
Champollion, Rosellini, Wilkinson, Lepsius, and some other illustrious
men, are destined to unravel much that has hitherto been regarded as
mystical in Egyptian history; while the invaluable disclosures which
they have already made, entitle them to the lasting gratitude of the
student of Archæology.
A few words in reference to chronology. Rosellini places the accession
of the Sixteenth dynasty of Egyptian kings at 2272 years before Christ.
Champollion adopts a nearly similar arrangement. The learned Dr. Wiseman
admits that there are monuments in Egypt as old as 2200 years before our
era; and Dr. Prichard dates the accession of Menes two centuries earlier
in time. The veneration with which these authors regard the Sacred
Writings, has given me the greater confidence in their opinions, which I
therefore adopt in general for the distant landmarks of time; especially
as the latter come fairly within the range of the Septuagint chronology,
which places the epoch of the Deluge at 3154 years B.C., and thus gives
room for the most ancient of the Egyptian monuments. In respect to later
and subordinate dates, I have been governed exclusively by the published
system of Professor Rosellini, which is regarded by competent judges as
more complete than any other.
I have great pleasure in stating, that for the unrestricted use of the
first copy of Rosellini’s splendid work which was brought to the United
States, I am indebted to an accomplished traveller, Richard K. Haight,
Esq., of New York; a gentleman who devotes his leisure hours and opulent
income to the promotion of archaeological knowledge.
To John Gliddon, Esq., United States consul at Alexandria, to the Rev.
George W. Bridges, and to M. E. Prisse, now in Egypt, I also take this
occasion to express my sincere acknowledgments for the practical zeal
with which they have aided my researches.
I have been enabled to make extensive and satisfactory comparisons by
means of nearly six hundred human crania, which form a part of my
private anatomical collection. The numbers in brackets refer to
corresponding numbers on the skulls themselves, and in my printed
catalogue; and will serve as a future test of the accuracy of my
observations, which, embracing as they do, such a multitude of details,
may require some revision and correction.
How far the following observations may assist in solving a problem
which, until lately, has been clothed in equal obscurity and interest,
is not for me to determine; but I trust they will at least, have the
effect of inciting others to researches of a similar nature.
---------------------
EGYPTIAN ETHNOGRAPHY.
“Vix quidem monitu opus est in tanta seculorum serie qua mos
cadavera balsamo condiendi in Ægypto solemnis fecit, inque tam
variorum ejus terræ dominorum et incolarum vicissitudine magnam
mumias intercedere debere variatatem tam quod ad conditurse variam
rationem et materiem; quam quod ad craniorum in mumiis gentilitiam
formam et speciem.”—BLUMENBACH, _Decad. Cran._ p. 12.
It was remarked fifty years ago by the learned Professor Blumenbach,
that a principal requisite for an inquiry such as we now propose, would
be “a very careful, technical examination of the skulls of mummies
hitherto met with, together with an accurate comparison of these skulls
with the monuments.” This is precisely the design I have in view in the
following memoir, which I therefore commence by an analysis of the
characters of all the crania now in my possession. These may be referred
to two of the great races of men, the CAUCASIAN and the NEGRO, although
there is a remarkable disparity in the number of each. The Caucasian
heads also vary so much among themselves as to present several different
types of this race, which may, perhaps, be appropriately grouped under
the following designations:—
CAUCASIAN RACE.
1. The [1]_Pelasgic Type_. In this division I place those heads which
present the finest conformation, as seen in the Caucasian nations of
western Asia, and middle and southern Europe. The Pelasgic lineaments
are familiar to us in the beautiful models of Grecian art, which are
remarkable for the volume of the head in comparison with that of the
face, the large facial angle, and the symmetry and delicacy of the whole
osteological structure. Plate III., Fig. 6, and Plate X., Fig. 8, are
among the many examples of this conformation.
2. The _Semitic Type_, as seen in the Hebrew communities, is marked by a
comparatively receding forehead, long, arched, and very prominent nose,
a marked distance between the eyes, a low heavy broad, and strong and
often harsh development of the whole facial structure. Plate XI., Fig.
2.
3. The _Egyptian_ form differs from the Pelasgic in having a narrower
and more receding forehead, while the face being more prominent, the
facial angle is consequently less. The nose is straight or aquiline, the
face angular, the features often sharp, and the hair uniformly long,
soft, and curling. In this series of crania I include many of which the
conformation is not appreciably different from that of the Arab and
Hindoo; but I have not, as a rule, attempted to note these distinctions,
although they are so marked as to have induced me, in the early stage of
the investigation, and for reasons which will appear in the sequel, to
group them, together with the proper Egyptian form, under the
provisional name of _Austral-Egyptian_ crania. I now, however, propose
to restrict the latter term to those Caucasian communities which
inhabited the Nilotic valley above Egypt. Among the Caucasian crania are
some which appear to blend the Egyptian and Pelasgic characters: these
might be called _Egypto-Pelasgic_ heads; but without making use of this
term, except in a very few instances by way of illustration, I have
thought best to transfer these examples from the Pelasgic group to the
Egyptian, inasmuch as they so far conform to the latter series as to be
identified without difficulty. For examples of this mixed form, I refer
especially to Plate XI., Fig. 1, and Plate III., Fig. 7.
NEGRO RACE.
The true _Negro_ conformation requires no comment; but it is necessary
to observe that a practised eye readily detects a few heads with
decidedly mixed characters, in which those of the Negro predominate. For
these I propose the name of _Negroid_ crania; for while the osteological
development is more or less that of the Negro, the hair is long but
sometimes harsh, thus indicating that combination of features which is
familiar in the mulatto grades of the present day. It is proper,
however, to remark in relation to the whole series of crania, that while
the greater part is readily referrible to some one of the above
subdivisions, there remain other examples in which the Caucasian traits
predominate, but are partially blended with those of the Negro, which
last modify both the structure and expression of the head and face.
We proceed, in the next place, to analyze these crania individually,
arranging them, for the purpose of convenience, into seven series,
according to their sepulchral localities, beginning with the Necropolis
of Memphis in the north:
First series, from the Memphite Necropolis.
A. Pyramid of five steps.
B. Saccàra, generally.
C. Front of the Brick Pyramid of Dashour.
D. North-west of the Pyramid of Five Steps.
E. Toora, on the Nile.
Second series, from the Grottoes of Maabdeh.
Third series, from Abydos.
Fourth series, from the Catacombs of Thebes.
Fifth series, from Koum Ombos.
Sixth series, from the Island of Beggeh, near Philæ.
Seventh Series, from Debod in Nubia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIRST SERIES.
TWENTY-SIX SKULLS FROM THE NECROPOLIS OF MEMPHIS.
This vast Necropolis extends from the Pyramids of Gizeh to the
southern limit of Saccàra, a distance of about fifteen miles. The
tombs are cut in the solid rock, and frequently communicate with one
another, forming a vast subterranean labyrinth. Memphis is well known
to be one of the oldest, if not indeed the oldest of the Egyptian
cities; and among the tombs now extant Professor Rosellini has found
some which bear inscriptions of a date nearly 2300 years before
Christ, at which period Memphis must have been a large and flourishing
city. The simpler catacombs were probably constructed before the
pyramids; for these last could only result from centuries of
civilization, and next to the catacombs, are the oldest existing
monuments of the human race.
A.—FROM THE PYRAMID OF FIVE STEPS.
In the month of August, 1839, Mr. J. S. Perring, the distinguished
Engineer, discovered a _fourth_ entrance to this pyramid, which was
found to communicate with a recess at the south-western corner of a
large apartment described in his narrative. This communication is a
horizontal gallery one hundred and sixty-six feet long, and the recess
is seventy feet above the floor. “The southern end of the gallery,”
observes Colonel Vyse, “was stopped up with sand; but for the length
of one hundred and sixty feet from the interior it was open, and did
not seem to have been previously visited, as nearly thirty mummies
were found in it apparently undisturbed. They had neither coffins nor
sarcophagi, nor, with the exception of three or four, any painted
decorations. They crumbled to pieces on being touched, and could not
be removed. Mr. Perring, therefore, proceeded to examine them. He
found them enclosed in wrappers, with pitch and bitumen; but he did
not meet with any of the objects usually deposited with mummies,
excepting some of the common stone idols upon the body of the female.
He therefore concluded that they were the bodies of persons employed
in the building.”[2]
Fortunately for my inquiries, Mr. Gliddon was at hand when these
relics were brought to light, and obtained them of Mr. Perring as a
contribution to my researches. With the utmost care on Mr. Gliddon’s
part, two of three reached me in safety, but the third was broken into
numberless fragments. In fact, the consistence of these bones is but
little firmer than unbaked clay, and the animal matter is nearly
obliterated. If Mr. Perring’s opinion be correct, that the persons to
whom these bodies belonged were coeval with the construction of the
pyramid, we may with safety regard them as the most ancient human
remains at present known to us. Whether, as that gentleman suggests,
they pertained to workmen employed in building the pyramid, I will not
pretend to decide; but although they present indifferent intellectual
developments, their conformation is that of the Caucasian race.
Plate I., Fig. 1. (Cat. 838.) An oval head with a broad but rather low
forehead, moderately elevated vertex, and full occiput. The
superciliary ridges are prominent, the orbits oblong-oval, the nasal
bones large, salient and aquiline, the teeth vertical and the whole
facial structure delicate. The head of a woman of about forty
years.[3]—I. C. 90 cubic inches. F. A. 81°. _Pelasgic form._
Plate I., Fig. 2. (Cat. 837.) A large and ponderous skull, with, a
broad but low forehead, and very prominent superciliary ridges. The
vertex is elevated, the occipital region remarkably full, and the
parietal diameter large. The bones of the face are delicately formed,
the nose long and aquiline, the orbits rounded, the teeth vertical.—I.
C. 97 cubic inches. F. A. 83°. _Pelasgic form._
This is the skull of a man who may have reached his fiftieth year. The
teeth are much worn, and parts of the sutures nearly obsolete. This
person, long antecedent to his death, had received a severe wound over
the right orbit, beginning at the nasal bone and extending upwards and
outwards nearly two inches, fracturing and depressing both tables of
the skull. The consequent deformity is manifest, although the
cicatrization is complete.
B.—FROM THE MEMPHITE NECROPOLIS.
Eleven skulls from various mummy pits in the great Necropolis of
Saccàra. In Mr. Gliddon’s memoranda he remarks that these heads were
mostly taken from the mummies themselves, and from the best
constructed pits; and that having been enclosed in coffins painted and
otherwise ornamented with different degrees of care, they probably
pertained to the higher class of Egyptians.
Plate II., Fig. 1. (Cat. 808.) A large elongate-oval head, with a
broad, high forehead, low coronal region, and strongly aquiline nose.
The orbits nearly round; teeth perfect and vertical.—I. C. 97 cubic
inches. F. A. 77°. _Pelasgic form._
Plate II., Fig. 2. (Cat. 815.) A beautifully formed head, with a
forehead high, full, and nearly vertical, a good coronal region, and
largely developed occiput. The nasal bones are long and straight, and
the whole facial structure delicately proportioned. Age, between
thirty and thirty-five years.—I. C. 88 cubic inches. F. A. 81°.
_Pelasgic form._
Plate II., Fig. 3. (Cat. 812.) Skull of a woman of twenty years? with
a beautifully developed forehead, and remarkably thin and delicate
structure throughout. The frontal suture remains.—I. C. 82 cubic
inches. F. A. 80°. _Pelasgic form._
Plate II., Fig. 4. (Cat. 806.) A thin cranium, of a short-oval form;
the forehead is broad, the coronal region low, and the whole face
prominent. Age, about thirty years. I. C. 83 cubic inches. F. A. 77°.
_Egyptian form._
Plate II., Fig. 5. (Cat. 814.) Cranium of a man of eighty or ninety
years, with a full but rather receding forehead, and strongly
developed cranial structure.—I. C. 97 cubic inches. _Pelasgic form._
Plate II., Fig. 6. (Cat. 810.) An admirable conformation, as seen in
the broad, high forehead, full occiput, and gently aquiline nose.
Probably a female of twenty years.—I. C. 86 cubic inches. F. A. 78°.
_Egyptian form?_
Plate II., Fig. 7. (Cat. 805.) A narrow, elongated head, with an
indifferent frontal region. A man of fifty?—I. C. 79 cubic inches. F.
A. 83°. _Pelasgic form._
Plate II., Fig. 8. (Cat. 807.) A large, thin, oval cranium, with a
broad, receding forehead, tumid occiput, a long and very aquiline
nose, and remarkably prominent face. The frontal suture remains
entire. Probably a man of thirty years.—I. C. 88 cubic inches. F. A.
74°. _Semitic form._
Plate III., Fig. 2. (Cat. 809.) A female head, with a somewhat
receding forehead and low coronal region.—I. C. 81 cubic inches. F. A.
78°. _Egyptian form._
Plate III., Fig. 1. (Cat. 811.) A small head, with a narrow frontal
region, receding forehead, and broad parietal diameter. A female? of
about twenty-five years.—I. C. 73 cubic inches. F. A. 76°. _Egyptian
form._
(Cat. 813.) Skull of a child of eight years, with a finely developed
forehead, tumid occiput and full facial angle. _Pelasgic form._
C.—FROM THE FRONT OF THE NORTHERN BRICK PYRAMID OF DASHOUR.
Three skulls exhumed by Mr. Perring from the above mentioned locality
in the Memphite Necropolis. They were discovered in the month of
August, 1839, in the process of trenching to find an entrance to the
pyramid. The following extract from Col. Vyse’s admirable work
embraces all the information we possess in relation to these remains,
merely premising that none of the _mummied_ heads alluded to has come
into my possession.
“At the depth of about four feet six inches, above fifty bodies were
found, ten of which were mummies, embalmed and deposited in the usual
manner. The others were much decayed, and had been buried in their
clothes, and in some instances were bound round with common cord and
laid in wooden coffins, or among a few branches of date trees. Some of
the clothes were woollen, others coarse linen, with a fringed border
of bright scarlet worsted. The heads were covered with bright red
network. Mr. Perring imagined that these bodies had belonged to a
pastoral people, probably to Bedouins, and that they had been
interred, together with the mummies, at a very early period, before
the introduction of Christianity.” VYSE, Pyramids, III., p. 60.
These crania, which are remarkably small, possess much of the Egyptian
form, and are well represented in the following outlines.
[Illustration]
(Cat. 795.) An oval cranium with a receding forehead, full coronal
region, strongly developed upper maxilla, and prominent face.—I. C. 75
cubic inches. F. A. 76°.—_Egyptian_ blended with the _Negroid form_?
(Cat. 796.) A small oval head, low forehead, and salient and very
aquiline nose. Facial bones thin and delicately proportioned.—I.C. 80
cubic inches. F.A. 75°. _Egyptian form._
(Cat. 797.) A small, thin, irregularly formed head, with a full
forehead and salient nose. The alveoli are absorbed by age. A woman of
70 years?—I.C. 76 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
D.—FROM THE NECROPOLIS OF MEMPHIS, NORTH-WEST OF THE PYRAMID OF FIVE
STEPS.
Nine skulls of mummied Egyptians, taken by Mr. Gliddon from a large
pit which had just been opened by the Arabs. Mr. G. remarks that No.
803 is a male, and 804 a female, both unwrapped by his own hands.
“These mummies were all of a superior order, and enclosed in wooden
cases. The pit was opened in my presence, and consisted of a deep
shaft cut through the solid rock, with two or three chambers filled
with undisturbed mummies.”
Scarcely any integuments remain on these heads, the removal of the
wrappings leaving the bone for the most part completely denuded.
Plate III., Fig. 3. (Cat. 804.) A remarkably beautiful female head,
not exceeding the age of twelve years. _Pelasgic form._
Plate III., Fig. 4. (Cat. 799.) A ponderous skull, with a fine
frontal, and full coronal region. Probably a man of 35 years.—I.C. 87
cubic inches. F.A. 82°. _Pelasgic form._
Plate III., Fig. 5. (Cat. 816.) A beautifully oval and finely arched
cranium, with a high, prominent forehead, tumid occiput, aquiline
nose, and oblong orbitar cavities. A man of 45?—I.C. 92 cubic inches.
F.A. 78°. _Pelasgic form._
Plate III., Fig. 6. (Cat. 798.) A delicately proportioned and finely
arched head. The cheek bones are small, and the nose strongly
aquiline. Age, about 45 years.—I.C. 84 cubic inches. F. A. 80°.
_Pelasgic form._
Plate III., Fig. 7. (Cat. 802.) A finely developed cranium, with a
delicate, but rather prominent face, and strongly arched nose.
Probably a female of 50 years.—I.C. 81 cubic inches. _Egypto-Pelasgic
form._
Plate III., Fig. 8. (Cat. 803.) A large, oval head, with a broad,
receding forehead, low coronal region, and salient nose. A man of 45
or 50 years.—I. C. 92 cubic inches. F.A. 82°. _Pelasgic form._
(Cat. 800.) Skull of a child of 10 years, with a receding forehead,
narrow, projecting face, and salient teeth. _Negroid form._
(Cat. 801.) A juvenile head, heavy, but beautifully proportioned,
especially in the frontal region. _Pelasgic form._
Plate III., Fig. 9. (Cat. 825.) A large and remarkably intellectual
head, of the finest proportions throughout. The hair is in part
preserved, and is long, smooth and of a dark-brown colour.—I. C. 93
cubic inches. F. A. 81°. _Pelasgic form._
E.—FROM TOORA, ON THE NILE.
Plate II., Fig. 9. (Cat. 840.) Skull of a man from the ancient
quarries at Toora, opposite Memphis, on the east bank of the Nile,
about seven miles above Cairo. From this place the stones were
obtained for building the Pyramids of Gizeh, and many later
structures, down to the epoch of the Ptolemies. Mr. Gliddon was
present at the exhumation of several of these crania, yet, owing to
their extremely fragile state, but one reached me in safety, and for
this I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Mash. They were found in
rude sarcophagi of limestone, and wrapped in coarse matting. These
remains, which were discovered in 1837-38, are supposed to have
pertained to the master-quarrymen.
The head figured is of an elongated oval form, with a moderate frontal
development and low coronal region. The nose is strongly salient and
aquiline, and the whole cranial structure thin and delicate.—I. C. 89
cubic inches. F. A. 79°. _Pelasgic form._
_Remarks on the preceding series of Crania._—A mere glance at this
group of skulls will satisfy any one accustomed to comparisons of this
kind, that most of them possess the Caucasian traits in a most
striking and unequivocal manner, whether we regard their form, size,
or facial angle. It is, in fact, questionable whether a greater
proportion of beautifully moulded heads would be found among an equal
number of individuals taken at random from any existing European
nation. The entire series consists of sixteen examples of the Pelasgic
and seven of the Egyptian form, a single Semitic head, one of the
Negroid variety, and one of mixed conformation. Of the antiquity of
these remains there can be no question; and with respect to a part of
them, those from the Pyramid of Five Steps, we have evidence of a more
precise character.
These most ancient mummies appear to have been prepared with but
little bitumen, and to have undergone desiccation by some primitive
and simple process of embalming; such, for example, as first
saturating the body in natron, and then subjecting it to heat in an
oven. It is also to be remarked, that in these two heads the brain has
not been removed through the nostrils, according to the general
custom, for the ethmoid bone is unbroken; and the cranial contents
could therefore only have been withdrawn through the foramen magnum at
the base of the skull.
This last remark also applies to sixteen other heads of this series;
whence I was at first led to suppose that they could not pertain to a
very remote epoch. But when we find that the oldest remains are
similarly characterized, and bear in mind that the removal of the
brain through the nose was a conventional part of the more perfect art
of embalming, may we not suppose that this imperforate state of the
cranium points to an early epoch of Egyptian history, before mankind
had resorted to those elaborate methods of preserving the dead body
which are so remarkable in the _Theban_ catacombs? It has been
conjectured, that the proximity of the Natron Lakes to the city of
Memphis gave rise to the custom of embalming; and it is not an
improbable supposition that the profuse employment of bitumen was a
subsequent refinement of the art. This suggestion derives some support
from another fact; namely, that in every instance in which I have
observed the brain to have been removed through the nose, the bones
and integuments are much more charged with bitumen than in the
imperforate crania.
It may, perhaps, be conjectured by some that the Pelasgic heads of
this series belong to the Ptolemaic epoch, and hence pertain to the
Greek inhabitants of that age: but it must be remembered that the rule
of the Ptolemies lasted but about three hundred years; whereas the
Egyptians were themselves the masters of Memphis, and entombed their
dead in its necropolis more than two thousand years before either the
Persians or Greeks effected the conquest of the country, no less than
during the period of and after these epochs of foreign domination.
Of the sixteen adult Pelasgic skulls in this series, two or three are
small; yet the whole number gives about 88 cubic inches for the
average internal capacity of the cranium, or size of the brain, while
the mean of the facial angle is 80°. The seven Egyptian crania have a
mean internal capacity of 80 cubic inches, and a facial angle of 77°.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECOND SERIES.
FOUR HEADS FROM THE GROTTOES OF MAABDEH, NEAR MAGARAT-ES-SAMÒUN.
This is the name of a series of sepulchral grottoes in Middle Egypt,
on the limestone hill opposite Manfaloot, and near the modern village
of Maabdeh. It is within the ancient nome of Heracleopolis. This
cemetery is a natural cavern, which was chiefly dedicated to embalmed
crocodiles, but in some measure, also, to man. Mr. Gliddon observes
that the human mummies are of the common order, and adds: “I brought
them from a measured distance of 438 feet under ground, horizontally,
averaging about twenty feet below the surface.”
Plate IV., Fig. 1. (Cat. 833.) A large, oval head, with a very low,
receding forehead, and large, aquiline nose. A man of 35 years? The
hair is long, soft, and curling, and the beard is partially preserved
on the lower jaw. _Pelasgic form?_
This person has been much disfigured by ulceration of the cartilage of
the nose and the adjacent integuments; part of the upper lip has been
removed by the disease, which appears partially on the lower jaw, and
may account for the beard not having been shaved. The embalming
process has been very carefully conducted. Large lozenge-shaped
patches of gold-leaf are seen on the centre of the forehead and over
each eye, with smaller pieces dispersed in other places, and
especially on the _bone_ and _teeth_ of the upper jaw, where these
have been denuded or exposed by ulceration.
Plate IV., Fig. 2. (Cat. 834.) A female head, of a short, oval form,
with a narrow, receding forehead, prominent nose, and very protruding
maxillæ. The teeth, which are salient, indicate a person of 25 or 30
years of age; and the lower jaw, which is very angular, has a
remarkable downward projection. The hair was long, but harsh, and was
necessarily removed with the integuments, on account of the imperfect
nature of the embalmment, which appeared to have been effected with a
soft or tar-like bitumen. _Negroid form._
Plate IV., Fig. 3. (Cat. 835.) A woman of 30? with a long, narrow
head, slightly salient nose, and very projecting face. The hair is
eight or ten inches long, harsh, but not wiry. _Negroid form._ I.C. 71
cubic inches. F.A. 73°.
Plate IV., Fig. 4. (Cat. 836.) A female head of a fine oval form, with
a broad, convex forehead, low coronal region, and strongly aquiline
nose. This head retains a profusion of long, fine, curling hair, and
the face is gilded over the eyes and lips. This is a striking example
of the _tumid face_ which is not unfrequently seen on the monuments.
_Egyptian form._
_Remarks._—The two Negroid heads belong, obviously, to the lower class
of people, for the bodies have been hastily and imperfectly embalmed,
without mummy cases, and in ordinary wrappings. The two latter remarks
apply to the other individuals of this series, which have,
nevertheless, been much more carefully embalmed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD SERIES.
FOUR SKULLS FROM ABYDOS.
The city of Abydos, the second in size in the Thebaid, was on the west
bank of the Nile, and, like Thebes, possessed a palace of Rameses
III., and a temple of Osiris, the guardian divinity of the city.
Plate V., Fig. 1, (Cat. 819.) An elongated head, with an indifferent
frontal and low coronal region, straight nose, small orbits, and
prominent upper jaw.—I. C. 85 cubic inches. F. A. 79°. _Egyptian
form._
Plate V., Fig. 2. (Cat. 820.) A large and finely moulded cranium, with
a broad, full forehead, and long, but abruptly salient nose. The upper
jaw has a remarkable downward elongation, which reduces the F. A. to
76°.—I. C. 96 cubic inches. A man of 40. _Egyptian form._
Plate V., Fig. 3. (Cat. 817.) A large, beautifully developed cranium,
of harmonious proportions, but somewhat ponderous structure.—I. C. 89
cubic inches. F. A. 80°. _Pelasgic form._
Plate V., Fig. 4. (Cat. 818.) A small head, narrow and retreating,
with a tumid occiput, very large, aquiline nose, and delicate,
prominent face.—I. C. 69 cubic inches. F. A. 77°. _Semitic form._
_Remarks._—In a memorandum accompanying these skulls, Mr. Gliddon
observes that “they were obtained from a mummy-pit behind the temple
of Rameses III., and they belong to the best class. Among the relics
found in the same pit were a scarabæus, bearing the prenomen of
Thotmes IV., and a piece of stamped pottery, (apparently enclosed with
a mummy to denote the epoch,) which bore the nomen of Rameses III. It
may, therefore, be reasonably conjectured, that these remains belong
to the eighteenth Diospolitan dynasty, fixed by Professor Rosellini
between the years 1822 and 1874, B.C.”
The four heads are entirely denuded, but little appearance of bitumen
remaining; nor is the ethmoid bone perforated. The bones bear the
impress of age, and, in one instance, have become softened, and almost
friable, from decomposition.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOURTH SERIES.
FIFTY-FIVE HEADS FROM THE CATACOMBS OF THEBES.
The greater part of this extensive and singularly perfect and varied
series of heads, was collected by Mr. Gliddon during two visits to
Thebes. They were all taken from the catacombs at _El Gourna_, on the
western bank of the Nile. If we may judge by the different degrees of
care manifested in the embalming process, they embrace individuals of
every class excepting the highest and lowest; for the latter,
according to the testimony of Herodotus, were never embalmed in the
proper sense of that word; and the former were deposited in more
elaborate sepulchres.
Plate VI., Fig. 1. (Cat. 860.) A man of fifty, with a small but well
proportioned cranium. The bones of the face are small, and the whole
osseous structure very thin.—I. C. 80 cubic inches. F. A. 82°.
_Egyptian form._
(Cat. 853.) Head of a man of fifty, with a low coronal region,
receding forehead, full occiput, aquiline nose, and remarkable
flatness beneath the temporal muscles.—I. C. 95 cubic inches.
_Egyptian form._
Plate VI., Fig 2. (Cat. 865.) An oval head with a full but retreating
forehead, a large, aquiline nose, and angular, prominent face. The
eyes are embalmed open. _Semitic form._
Plate VI., Fig. 3. (Cat. 893.) A singularly thin cranium, especially
in the lateral parietal regions. The forehead is moderately expanded
and the nose straight.—I. C. 85 cubic inches. F. A. 81°. _Pelasgic
form._
Plate VI., Fig. 4. (Cat. 850.) A large oval cranium, with a voluminous
forehead, a small aquiline nose, and rounded orbits. Age, seventy to
eighty years?—I. C. 86 cubic inches. _Pelasgic form._
Plate VI., Fig. 5. (Cat. 859.) An octogenarian female, with a small
but well proportioned head, and delicate facial bones. This cranium,
which is remarkable for its tenuity, retains a very little smooth,
long hair.—I. C. 82 cubic inches. _Pelasgic form._
Plate VI., Fig. 6. (Cat. 881.) Skull of a female not exceeding
seventeen years of age, with a beautifully developed forehead, and
delicate facial bones, yet possessing an obvious downward elongation
of the upper jaw, as in the Hindoo.—I. C. 71 cubic inches. F. A. 80°.
_Egyptian form._
Plate VI., Fig. 7. (Cat. 889.) A well formed, oval head, with a
remarkably prominent nose and chin.—I. C. 83 cubic inches. F. A. 83°.
_Egyptian form._
Plate VI., Fig. 8. (Cat. 870.) A long oval cranium, with a broad,
receding forehead, tumid occiput, very long aquiline nose, and sharp
features. The hair, which is cut close, is brown and silky.—I. C. 79
cubic inches. A man of thirty? _Semitic form._
Plate VI., Fig. 9. (Cat. 876.) A small, but oval male head, with hair
of a fine texture and brown colour.—I. C. 83 cubic inches. _Egyptian
form._
Plate VII., Fig. 1. (Cat. 851.) A narrow, elongated cranium, with a
retreating forehead, and rather produced maxillæ. The whole osseous
structure is remarkably delicate. A woman of thirty-five?—I. C. 79
cubic inches. F. A. 80°. _Egyptian form._
Plate VII., Fig. 2. (Cat. 861.) Skull of a man of fifty, large and
massive: forehead and coronal region but moderately developed; face
projecting, with a small, aquiline nose.—I. C. 91 cubic inches. F. A.
78°. _Egyptian form._
Plate VII., Fig. 3. (Cat. 857.) A female cranium, long, narrow, and
much flattened at the sides, and rather ponderous. The whole face is
long, angular, and prominent, with a slight yet manifest negro
expression. A little hair remains, long, black, and smooth.—I. C. 83
cubic inches. F. A. 77°. _Egyptian, blended with the Negro form?_
Plate VII., Fig. 4. (Cat. 848.) A female head, with a narrow but
elevated and finely arched frontal region, which forms, with the
straight nose, something of a Grecian profile. The face, however, is
not in keeping with the head, being much produced.—I. C. 82 cubic
inches. F. A. 80°. _Egyptian form._
Plate VII., Fig. 5. (Cat. 847.) A small head, narrow and laterally
compressed, with a well formed forehead, and full occiput. The nose is
very large and salient, and the maxillary structure much produced. A
woman of thirty.—I. C. 68 cubic inches. F. A. 76°. _Egyptian form._
Plate VII., Fig. 6. (Cat. 854.) A small but well proportioned cranium
of a female not exceeding fifteen years of age. The forehead is full
(by an oversight inadequately represented in the drawing,) and the
whole of the osseous structure extremely delicate. _Egyptian form._
(Cat. 849.) Skull of a man of twenty-five years, finely oval, with a
broad receding forehead, and full coronal region. Facial bones
broken.—I. C. 81 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
(Cat. 894.) A beautiful juvenile head, with a broad high forehead,
large, prominent nose, and oval orbits. _Pelasgic form._
(Cat. 887.) A child of twelve or fourteen years, with a finely turned
forehead, long, aquiline nose, and vertical teeth. A little long, fine
hair remains on the occiput. _Egyptian form._
(Cat. 868.) Skull of a child of beautiful organization, excepting a
slight inequality in the occipital region. _Pelasgic form._
Plate VIII., Fig. 1. (Cat. 878.) An elongated head, with a broad
receding forehead, long and nearly straight nose, and prominent chin.
This person has been most carefully embalmed, with a profusion of
gilding on various parts of the face. The hair is soft and curling,
and of a dark-brown colour. A man of fifty?—I. C. 77 cubic inches.
_Egyptian form._
Plate VIII., Fig. 2. (Cat. 879.) A man of fifty, admirably embalmed. A
broad and full, but receding forehead, a large aquiline nose, and
strong maxillæ. _Pelasgic head_ of the Roman conformation.
Plate VIII., Fig. 3. (Cat. 839.) A short-oval cranium, with a full but
retreating forehead, straight nose, and large prominent maxillæ.—I. C.
74 cubic inches. F. A. 78°. _Egyptian blended with the Negro form?_
Plate VIII., Fig. 4. (Cat. 871.) A juvenile female head, with a full
but receding frontal region, long nose, sharp features, tumid occiput,
and rounded orbits. _Egyptian form._
Plate VIII., Fig. 5. (Cat. 866.) A small, juvenile, female head, with
a convex but retreating forehead, and the whole face remarkably sharp,
projecting, and repulsive. This head is elaborately gilded, and
retains a portion of long, fine, smooth hair. _Egyptian form?_
(Cat. 873.) An oval cranium, with a good frontal region, and salient
nasal bones. The alveoli have been almost destroyed by absorption
consequent to advanced age.—I. C. 88 cubic inches. _Pelasgic form?_
Plate VIII., Fig. 6. (Cat. 883.) A well-developed cranium, with a long
straight nose. A man of forty?—I. C. 82 cubic inches. F. A. 81°.
_Egyptian form._
[Illustration]
(Cat. 888.) Head of a man of thirty-five years? most carefully
embalmed, with a high frontal region, and very long prominent angular
face.—I. C. 85 cubic inches. _Egyptian_ blended with Negro or Malay
lineaments? The conformation of this head is not unlike that of some
modern Nubians.
Plate VIII., Fig. 7. (Cat. 880.) A female head? of a fine oval form,
long, straight nose, and quadrangular orbits. The angles of the lower
jaw are remarkably expanded. The hair, which is cut short, is fine,
and of a dark-brown colour.—I. C. 85 cubic inches. F. A. 80°.
_Egyptian form._
Plate VIII., Fig. 8. (Cat. 867.) A large head with a broad convex
frontal region, and full occiput. The nose is large and remarkably
salient, and the maxillary bones projecting and ponderous. A little
soft, dark-brown hair is attached to some remaining fragments of the
scalp.—I. C. 86 cubic inches. F. A. 78°. _Egyptian form._
This person has evidently undergone decapitation, and in order to
attach the head again to the body, a ball of mummy cloth has been
formed on the end of a piece of reed _within the cranium_, and the
other end has been thrust between the spine and adjacent muscles, and
confined there by bandages. There is also an excision of the occipital
protuberance, by means of an axe or other sharp instrument, seemingly
made by an unskilful effort to sever the head from the body.
Plate VIII., Fig. 9. (Cat. 855.) Head of a female not exceeding
eighteen years of age, with a finely developed forehead, very long
aquiline nose, small but prominent face, and very peculiar features.
Hair, dark-brown, and extremely fine. The face is gilded.—I. C. 78
cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
(Cat. 874.) Head of a child of nine or ten years, closely shaved and
elaborately gilded, with a high, full forehead, projecting jaws, and
oblique teeth. _Egyptian blended with the Negro form?_
(Cat. 48.) Skull of a child of eight years, with a fine frontal
region, but rather prominent face. Hair long, and of a dark-brown
colour. _Egyptian form._
Plate IX. (Cat. 856.) A cranium of harmonious proportions, with a fine
forehead, gently aquiline nose, delicate facial bones, and perfect
teeth. A man of thirty?—I. C. 92 cubic inches. F. A. 80°.
_Egypto-Pelasgic form._
Plate X., Fig. 1. (Cat. 844.) A finely formed female head, with a
straight nose, and delicate facial bones. Hair abundant, soft, and
curling.—I. C. 68 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
Plate X., Fig. 2. (Cat. 872.) A woman of fifty?—with a low receding
forehead, and prominent facial structure. Hair abundant, long, and
very fine, of a light brown or auburn colour, and elaborately curled
and platted.—I. C. 72 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
Plate X., Fig. 3. (Cat. 862.) Head of a man of sixty, with a broad
receding forehead, salient nose and light facial bones. Hair, long,
soft, and curling.—I. C. 79 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
Plate X., Fig. 4. (Cat. 843.) Head of a woman of thirty? most
carefully embalmed; with a full forehead, very long, straight nose,
and sharp delicate features, but prominent face. There is a profusion
of long, brown, curling hair.—I. C. 74 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
Plate X., Fig. 5. (Cat. 877.) Head of a man with a broad receding
forehead, salient nose, and delicate features. Hair, dark-brown,
smooth and curling. The beard, though short, is preserved.—I. C. 89
cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
Plate X., Fig. 6. (Cat. 60.) Head of a female not exceeding eighteen
years of age, with a low forehead, long, straight nose, and rather
prominent face. Hair long and fine. This style of head is very common
on the Egyptian monuments. _Egyptian form._
Plate X., Fig. 7. (Cat. 882.) Head of a young girl, with a very
prominent nose, and long, smooth, curling hair: gilding on the eyelids
and nose. _Egyptian form._
Plate X., Fig. 8. (Cat. 884.) Head of a woman of thirty, of a
faultless Caucasian mould. The hair, which is in profusion, is of a
dark-brown tint, and delicately curled. _Pelasgic form._
Plate X., Fig. 9. (Cat. 875.) A small female head, of seventy? years,
with a fine frontal development, straight nose, and large oval orbits.
The long, curling hair is of a yellowish colour, but has probably been
gray, and dyed by _henna_.—I. C. 73 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
Plate XI., Fig. 1. (Cat. 846.) Head of a youth of about eighteen
years, with a remarkably broad and lofty forehead, a small straight
nose, and delicately formed face. A little smooth, dark hair remains,
and the whole has been elaborately embalmed, with a profusion of
gilding on the face.—I. C. 87 cubic inches. This is one of the most
perfectly formed heads that have ever come under my notice, yet the
eyes are widely separated, the distance between the nose and mouth is
remarkable, and the chin is short and receding. _Egypto-Pelasgic
form._
Plate XI., Fig. 2. (Cat. 842.) Head of a man of about fifty years of
age, with a broad but very low and receding forehead. The nose is very
large, and strongly aquiline, the teeth vertical and much worn, the
cheek bones prominent, and the whole face remarkable for harshness of
expression. A little brown hair remains on the occiput.—I. C. 85 cubic
inches. _Semitic form._
This head possesses great interest, on account of its decided Hebrew
features, of which many examples are extant upon the _monuments_.
(Cat. 886.) Head of a man of fifty? small but well proportioned
throughout. The teeth, which are vertical, are remarkably worn by
attrition.—I. C. 76 cubic inches. _Egyptian form._
Plate XII., Figs. 1, 2. (Cat. 845.) An oval head with a full forehead,
and long aquiline nose. The orbits are far apart, and the balls
replaced with bone, on which the iris is distinctly painted. The hair,
which is cut short, is fine and straight.—I. C. 73 cubic inches. This
head has something of the _Semitic_ character, both as respects
configuration and expression, and I class it, though with some
hesitation, with that series.
TWO HEADS OF LUNATICS, FROM THEBES.
[Illustration]
Wood-cut 1. (Cat. 841.) An elongated head, with a very receding
forehead, long, aquiline nose, and large, ponderous jaws, which
project so as to reduce the facial angle to about 65°. This person has
been embalmed with evident care, but with the mouth open, the tongue
protruded, and the eyelids raised, giving a frightfully vacant
expression to the whole countenance, and leaving no reasonable doubt
that this is the head of an idiot. A little hair remains, which is
remarkably fine, and encroaches on the eyebrows.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]