semicircular (12) by the VIth Dynasty,
lengthen to double their width in the XIIth, and then thin out to a
waist in the middle by the XVIIIth Dynasty. Flint hoes (14) are common
down to the XIIth Dynasty. Small copper hoes (15) with a hollow socket
are probably of about the XXIInd Dynasty. Long iron picks (16), like
those of modern navvies, were made by Greeks in the XXVIth Dynasty.

_Slicing Tools._--The knife was originally a flint saw (17), having
minute teeth; it must have been used for cutting up animals, fresh or
dried, as the teeth break away on soft wood. The double-edged straight
flint knife dates from S.D. 32-45. The single-edged knife (18) is from
33-65. The flint knives of the time of Menes are finely curved (19),
with a handle-notch; by the end of the IInd Dynasty they were much
coarser (20) and almost straight in the back. In the XIth-XIIth Dynasty
they were quite straight in the back (21), and without any handle-notch.
The copper knives are all one-edged with straight back (22) down to the
XVIIIth Dynasty, when two-edged symmetrical knives (23) become usual.
Long thin one-edged knives of iron begin about 800 B.C. Various forms of
one-edged iron knives, straight (24) and curved (25), belong to Roman
times. A cutting-out knife, for slicing through textiles, began
double-edged (26) in the Ist Dynasty, and went through many single-edged
forms (27-29) until it died out in the XXth Dynasty (_Man_, 1901, 123).
A small knife hinged on a pointed backing of copper (31) seems to have
been made for hair curling and toilet purposes. Razors (30) are known of
the XIIth Dynasty, and became common in the XVIIIth. A curious blade of
copper (32), straight sided, and sharpened at both ends, belongs to the
close of the prehistoric age. Shears are only known of Roman age and
appear to have been an Italian invention: there is a type in Egypt with
one blade detachable, so that each can be sharpened apart. Chisels of
bronze began of very small size (33) at S.D. 38, and reached a full size
at the close of the prehistoric age. In historic times the chisels are
about 1 x 1/2, x 6 to 8 in. long (34). Small chisels set in wooden handles
are found (35) of the XIIth and XVIIIth Dynasties. Ferrules first appear
in the Assyrian iron of the 7th century B.C. The rise of stone work led
to great importance of heavy chisels (36) for trimming limestone and
Nubian sandstone; such chisels are usually round rods about 3/4 in. thick
and 6 in. long.