marks, adding however some of my own, from
a very valuable little book recently published by the learned
egyptologist Mr. W.M. Flinders Petrie, entitled: Historical
Scarabs.[20]

I regret Mr. Petrie's lithographic drawings are so blurred that they
are difficult to read, and hope that he will, in the near future, get
out a more artistic and complete book on this important subject.[21]

He shows 2,220 examples of incised historical scarabs. The first
genuine historical scarabs he gives copies of, are those of Neb-ka of
the IIIrd Dynasty; (circa 3933-3900 B.C.) He also shows some of the
period of Nefer-ka-Ra or Huni, mentioned in Brugsch's History of the
Pharaohs, pages 27 and 32; who lived 3800 B.C. The name Ra, forming
part of the king's name at this period, is very unusual. It was not
used, as a portion of his name, by any other Egyptian king from the
Ist Dynasty to the second king of the IVth or Great Pyramid Dynasty,
named Tatf-Ra. The next king to him was Khaf-Ra. The reign of Tatf-Ra
was preceded by that of Khufu, the Kheops of the Greek writers,
builder of the Great Pyramid; (_circa_ 3733-3700 B.C.)

The scarabs of the time of Khufu are all small and of fine work but
without elaboration, and the colors are delicate, beautiful and
permanent. Under Khaf-Ra or Khefren, there was a deterioration; the
work is inferior and the glazing has often perished, indeed good
glazes are rare after this period until the XIth Dynasty; (_circa_
2500 B.C.) The glazes of this latter period are hard, unalterable and
of fine colors, some under the XIIth are fine but often they are
decomposed. Blue is a special color of this time and it is also used
in the sculpture. Under Pepi, IVth Dynasty, (_circa_ 3233 B.C.,) the
scroll pattern first arises as a system, but is not found continuously
in the scarabs of his period. In the XIIth Dynasty, (2466-2266 B.C.,)
the continuous scroll pattern was developed, it became general in the
XIIIth, (_circa_ 2233 B.C.,)and XIVth Dynasties, and lingered as far
as the XIXth (1400 B.C.)

Brown scarabs were originally green glazed but have faded, white were
originally blue, excepting possibly some of Amen-hotep IIIrd. There
are also white and gray, without any glaze remaining, which were
originally blue or green.

The cowroids, with a rope border on the back, are of the Hyksos
period.

The XVIIIth Dynasty (1700-1400 B.C.,) begins with some of a poor style
but it soon disappeared. The peculiarity of the