A HISTORY OF EGYPT FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE XVITH DYNASTY BY W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE, D.C.L., LL.D. EDWARDS PROFESSOR OF EGYPTOLOGY IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS SECOND EDITION METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET, W.C. LONDON 1895 PREFACE THE aim in producing the present history has been to place in the hands of students a book of reference which shall suffice for all ordinary purposes; while stating the information in such a form that any person who is likely to read such a work may grasp a general view of the course of one of the oldest civilisations of the world. A history that merely states the facts on the writer's authority may do well enough for the general reader; but for the student such writing is almost useless, and references are essential. In these pages every fact and every object has at least one authority stated for it, except where it rests on the author's personal observation. But it has not been needful to give more than one reference, usually the most accessible or useful, on each fact. Those who want to read up all the literature on any detail, will naturally refer to Wiedemann's Geschichte, which is an index to the subject so invaluable that no one can do much without it. And though every writer since that work has appeared must naturally be indebted to its pages, if dealing with Egyptian history or monuments, yet the present work is based on an actual |