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and weeping over four mummies, which are placed upright; and in the second, and lower one, the mummy of the deceased is laid out by Anubis.

Nos. 332, 344, 359, and 372 are curious, as showing the prevalence of an heretical worship of the sun's disk during the reign of Amenophis IV.

No. 398 represents the Roman Emperor Tiberius kneeling and offering a mirror to the deities Mut and Chons. This tablet appears to have been erected on account of certain repairs made to the shrines of these gods.

Besides what may be strictly called Sepulchral Tablets, answering nearly the same purpose as our modern grave-stones, there are several miscellaneous objects in the Egyptian Saloon, some of them, like the tablets, memorials of deceased persons, and some fragments found in different parts of Egypt, and procured by the Museum at different times from various travellers and collections. Among these are such monuments as the following, which admit of sub-arrangement for the convenience of those who are desirous of pursuing the study of Egyptian antiquities fully.

1. Sepulchral tablets in the form of doorways, generally dedicated to some god or goddess. Such are Nos. 235-9, 308, 324, 335, 556, and 569.

2. Sepulchral tablets in the form of altars for libations, generally dedicated to some god or goddess, and bearing on them offerings of different kinds, such as cakes of bread, vases of wine, parts of animals, &c. Such are Nos. 413-424, 502, 509, 553-4, 590-2, and 596.

3. Christian tablets, erected during the Roman period. Such as Nos. 405-7, 408*, 409, 601, 607. One of which, No. 406, bears a Greek inscription, and appears to have been set up as late as the year A.D. 545-6.

4. Sepulchral Pyramidia, or small models of pyramids, on which are generally represented either the deceased personage, or the emblems of one of the gods.

5. Models of small Naoi, generally of a rectangular shape, and probably offerings in honour of some deceased person— by his friends or relations. Such are Nos. 412, 467, 476, and 597.

6. Jambs from the doors of tombs.

Such as Nos. 160, 529-35,

550, 552. Of these, Nos. 530-5 are probably the oldest

Egyptian monuments in the British Museum. They are all portions of a tomb, procured by Mr. Salt from the neighbourhood of the Pyramids of Gizeh, and are believed to belong to the very remote æra of the Fourth Dynasty.

7. Fragments from tombs, some of very early date. Such are Nos. 167**, 430, 444-5, 447, 449-451, 457-7, 527-28, 537-46, 598. Of these, Nos. 527 and 528 are attributed to the Fourth Dynasty.

8. Fresco paintings from the walls of tombs, Nos. 169-181. Some of these are very curious; for instance, No. 1701 represents a scribe of the royal wardrobes and granaries standing in a boat, accompanied by his children, and a cat catching water-birds among the reeds of the Papyrus. No. 171' is the registration by an attendant scribe of the delivery of ducks, geese, and eggs; and No. 1773 is the representation of a square pond, in which fish and ducks are represented swimming, and surrounded by trees. The peculiar arrangement of the trees round the pond proves that the artist of this monument was unacquainted with the ordinary rules of perspective.

9. Tablets with representations of animals, such as the Ibex, No. 356; the Steer, No. 298; Snakes, No. 434; Hawks, Nos. 437, 501; Lion-headed Hawk, No. 480; Lions, Nos. 439, 441, 453; Cow of Athor, No. 459; Crocodile, No. 484; and Sphinx, No. 444*.

10. Miscellaneous fragments, consisting of

Small statues, Nos. 168, 470, 500, 503-4, 512-5.
Heads, Nos. 486-7, 526.

Busts, Nos. 489-492.

Obelisks, Nos. 523-4.

Models for Head-rests or Pillows, Nos. 426, 428.

And Basins, Nos. 28, 108, 465, 495.

Lastly. A large collection of Sepulchral vases, Nos. 608-732. Originally, when complete, each in sets of four, with heads surmounting them of the four Genii of the Dead, called respectively, Amset (human-headed), Hapi (baboon-headed), Tuautmutf (jackal-headed), and Kebhsnuf (hawk-headed).

1 Engr. Long., vol. ii. p. 59.

2 Ibid.,

p.

61.

3 Ibid., p. 72.

The principle of this quadruple arrangement was, that the ancient Egyptians were in the habit of dividing the viscera of the dead into four parts, and embalming them separately under the protection of their appropriate Deity. Thus the first appears to have presided over the stomach and large intestines; the second, over the small intestines; the third, over the lungs and heart; the fourth, over the liver and gall bladder. Each vase was inscribed with Hieroglyphics containing the formula appropriate to it. The Genii are addressed respectively by the four Deities, Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and Selk; or in some cases, the Genius tells the dead that he has come to his side, bringing him wax clothes, incense, and water.

The vases themselves are constructed of various materials, as Arragonite, Nos. 609-12, 614, 618, 621*-2, 628-635, 636-39 a complete set of four. Calcareous stone, 636-39, complete; 640-43 ditto 659-705. Pottery, Nos. 648-652. Wood, Nos. 653-4. The most beautiful specimens are in Arragonite. Some of them are solid and only partially hollowed-and must therefore be presumed to have served as models. They are often found enclosed in large wooden boxes, and have been more frequently discovered in the tombs of Memphis than in those of Thebes or Abydos. They appear to have been used from the earliest times; thus Nos. 682-3 may possibly date even from the Fourth Dynasty: towards the close, however, of the Egyptian monarchy and under the Ptolemies, the entrails appear to have been embalmed in separate packets, which were wrapped up with the dead, and had each attached to them a small wax figure of its Genius.

TABLE OF EGYPTIAN CHRONOLOGY, &c.

For the convenience of those who may be desirous of keeping before their minds the relative dates of different Egyptian Dynasties, or anxious to know what Egyptian monuments exist in the British Museum belonging to well ascertained periods, the following table has been drawn up from the works of Rosellini, Wilkinson, and Bunsen, and the several dates assigned by those authors have been arranged in a tabular form. As Champollion has not paid so much attention as other writers to the early chronology, it has not been thought necessary to make a separate table for his dates; wherever, however, he differs materially from the above-cited authors his opinion has been mentioned.

E.S. refers to Egyptian Saloon.

E.R. refers to Egyptian Room.

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