the first forming was done by chipping and
hammer-dressing, as in later times; the final facing of the hard stones
was doubtless by means of emery in block or powder, as emery grinding
blocks are found.

In the early dynasties the hard stones were still worked, and the Ist
dynasty was the most splendid age for vases, bowls, and dishes of the
finest stones. The royal tombs have preserved an enormous quantity of
fragments, from which five hundred varied forms have been drawn (P.R.T.
ii. xlvi.-liii. 6). The materials are quartz crystal, basalt, porphyry,
syenite, granite, volcanic ash, various metamorphics, serpentine, slate,
dolomite marble, alabaster, many coloured marbles, saccharine marble,
grey and white limestones. The most splendid vase is one from Nekhen
(Hieraconpolis), of syenite, 2 ft. across and 16 in. high, hollowed so
as to be marvellously light and highly polished (Q.H. xxxvii). Another
branch of stone-work, surface carving, was early developed by the
artistic dynastic race. The great palettes of slate covered with
elaborate reliefs are probably all of the pre-Menite kings; the most
advanced of them having the figure of Narmer, who preceded Menes. Other
carving full of detail is on the great mace-heads of Narmer and the
Scorpion king, where scenes of ceremonials are minutely engraved in
relief. In the Ist Dynasty the large tombstones of the kings are of bold
work, but the smaller stones of private graves vary much in the style,
many being very coarse. All of this work was by hammer-dressing and
scraping. The scrapers seem to have always been of copper.

The earliest use of stone in buildings is in the tomb of King Den (Ist
Dynasty), where some large flat blocks of red granite seem to have been
part of the construction. The oldest stone chamber known is that of
Khasekhemui (end of the IInd Dynasty). This is of blocks of limestone
whose faces follow the natural cleavages, and only dressed where
needful; part is hammer-dressed, but most of the surfaces are
adze-dressed. The adze was of stone, probably flint, and had a short
handle (P.R.T. ii. 13). The same king also wrought granite with
inscriptions in relief. In the close of the IIIrd Dynasty a great
impetus was given to stone-work, and the grandest period of refined
masonry is at the beginning of the IVth Dynasty under Cheops. The tombs
of Medum under Snefru are built with immense blocks of limestone of 20
and 33 tons weight. The dressing of the face betwee