of Semti, the fifth king of the Ist dynasty. Nothing is known of Sent's reign, but we find from the tomb of Sherȧ, a priest, that services were performed on behalf of his Ka or "Double" and that of his predecessor Perȧbsen. Sherȧ the priest probably lived at the end of the IInd, or at the beginning of the IIIrd, dynasty. A fine slab from his tomb is exhibited in the Egyptian Vestibule, No. 1.

Of the remaining kings of the IInd dynasty, Neferkarā, Neferkaseker, Hetchefa, and Bebi, or Tchatchai, their names only have survived.

Third Dynasty. From Memphis.

About B.C. 3966.

The greatest of the kings of this dynasty was Tcheser, or Tcheser-sa, who is renowned as the builder of the famous Step Pyramid at Sakkârah. This pyramid is about 200 feet high, and has six "steps," 38, 36, 34, 33, 31, and 29 feet high respectively; the lengths of its sides at the base are: north and south, 352 feet, east and west 396 feet. A tomb of Tcheser, who has been identified with this king, was discovered at Bêt Khallaf in 1901. Details of his reign are wanting, but, according to a legend preserved on a rock stele on the Island of Sâhal in the First Cataract, a Seven Years' Famine came upon Egypt in his time, and want and misery were universal. Greek tradition ascribed to Tcheser great medical knowledge, and he is said to have been a patron of literature. Among the objects of this king in the British Museum may be mentioned the fragment of a slate vase (Table-case L, No. 169), and the very interesting small glazed tiles (Nos. 208, 209, in the same case; and see Tablecase K in the Fourth Egyptian Room, Nos. 863-869), which were found inlaid in the wall of the doorway in the pyramid of King Tcheser.

The other kings of this dynasty, Hen-Nekht, or Sa-Nekht, Tcheser - Tetȧ, Setches, and Nefer - ka - Rā Huni were unimportant; the last named is mentioned in the famous Book of Moral Precepts known as the Prisse Papyrus, where he is said to have been the predecessor of the great king Seneferu. With the ending of the IIIrd dynasty the period of Egyptian History called the Archaïc Period closes. During these dynasties civilization had advanced greatly in Egypt. The habitations of the living were now built of brick, with wooden roofs supported on pillars; and the dead were provided with

stone-built tombs, called mastabas, in which they were laid at full length, instead of in contracted positions. The art-of writing had been introduced, and the beginning of the hieroglyphic system invented. Sculptors and metal workers had

attained considerable skill, and potters had learned how to apply glaze. The progress made during the Archaic Period can be successfully studied by the visitor from the valuable collection of objects exhibited in Table-case L in the Second Egyptian

Room, and in the Wall-cases on the Landing of the NorthWest Staircase. Special attention should be given to the green slate shields, sculptured in relief with hunting scenes, and to the fine display of vases and bowls, in diorite, granite, porphyry, jasper, breccia, limestone, alabaster, etc., in Wallcases 137-142, 194-204, in the Fourth Egyptian Room. To the same period probably belong:-1. The portion of a sculptured stele, with the Horus name of a king, which was found at Wâdî Maghârah in the Peninsula of Sinai (Egyptian Vestibule, No. 2). 2. The very interesting red granite statue, of a most archaïc character, of Betchmes, a royal kinsman and axeman who was attached to the body-guard of the king (Egyptian Vestibule, No. 3). 3. The text on a limestone slab in which the hieroglyphics are not divided by lines (Egyptian Vestibule, No. 4). 4. Relief from the tomb of Suten-ȧbu (Egyptian Vestibule, No. 5).

Fourth Dynasty. From Memphis.

About B.C. 3733.

With the accession of Seneferu one of the most important periods in the history of Egypt opened, and it was marked by the conquest of the Sûdân and the Sinaitic Peninsula, by the building of the Pyramids, and by the production of basreliefs, sculptures, wall-paintings, etc., which for fidelity to nature and delicacy of execution were never surpassed. Several of the earlier kings of Egypt had trade relations with the natives of Sinai who worked the famous copper and turquoise mines of Wâdî Maghârah; but Seneferu invaded the country and conquered it, and cut reliefs on the rocks in which he is represented clubbing the rebellious natives. He was the first to group four of the royal titles within

a cartouche thus:

ནུ=1=

He also raided the Sûdân, and captured, as we learn from the Palermo Stele, 7,000 men, i.e., slaves, and 200,000 animals, i.e., oxen, cows, goats, etc. The men were, no doubt, brought to Egypt and made to labour there on the king's works. During the reign of Seneferu, Egypt was invaded by certain Eastern tribes by way of the desert; and the country seems to have suffered from a famine. Seneferu was probably buried in the Pyramid of Médûm, which is called the "False Pyramid," and is of an unusual shape; it is about 115 feet

high, and consists of three stages, which are 70, 20, and 25 feet high respectively. He also built a pyramid at Dahshur. His queen was Mert tefs, who survived him and was living during the reigns of Khufu and Khāfrā; a limestone false door from her tomb is exhibited in the

Egyptian Vestibule, No. 7. The governor of Seneferu's pyramid at Mêdûm was Ka-nefer (for his sepulchral stele see the Egyptian Vestibule, No. 8), to whose memory a pious son set up the memorial tablet No. 9.

Seneferu was succeeded by Khufu, the Cheops of the Greeks, the son of Shaȧru

(Ag), the greatest

king of the dynasty; he is said to have reigned sixty-three years. He may have been a great warrior, like Seneferu; and a relief on the rocks at Wâdî Maghârah in the Sinaitic Peninsula represents him in the act of clubbing a typical foe in the presence of the ibis-headed god Thoth. He was, however, a far greater builder, and he has been known to fame for some thousands of years as the builder of the Great Pyramid (see Plate XX). This wonderful building, which the Egyptians called "Khut," stands on the edge of a ledge of rock forming the "skirt" (hence the name Gizah) of the desert, on the western bank of the Nile, about 5 miles from the river, near the village of Al-Gizah. It covers an area of 12 acres. It is 451 feet high, and the flat space at the top is about 30 feet square. The length of each side at the base is 755 feet; but before the outer layers of stone were removed and used in Cairo for building material each side was 20 feet longer, and the pyramid itself was about 30 feet higher. It was originally