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Since the year 1895, when Professor Flinders Petrie’s book on Historical Scarabs became “out of print,” the want of a comprehensive work on these interesting little Egyptian antiquities has been much felt. Two volumes on Egyptian Scarabs, it is true, have been published since that date, but these works treat of private collections and do not claim to deal with the subject in its entirety or even in a scientific manner.

A long residence, extending over several years, at Thebes, the centre of the Upper Egyptian Scarab market, and the place where the best imitation Scarabs are now manufactured, has, I may claim, given me exceptional opportunities for studying this class of Ancient Egyptian antiquities and its allied forms. For some years it was my custom to pay a weekly visit to the Luxor antiquity shops, with the object of examining these and other articles in the dealers’ hands; and, latterly, scarcely a week has passed during my winter’s sojourn on the banks of the Nile but that someone, Egyptologist, collector, tourist, or dealer, has consulted me as to the genuineness, vireading, etc., of Scarabs that they have either purchased or intended to buy. The frequency of these appeals, and the ignorance so generally displayed by the traveller in speaking of Egyptian Scarabs, convinced me that I could at least advance a step or two on what had been previously written on the subject; so, after classifying my notes and visiting and studying the principal collections of England and the Continent, I have prepared the following Introduction to the Study of Egyptian Seals, which will, I venture to hope, be useful to Students and Collectors.

That I have spared no pains in order to make this book as complete as possible will, I think, be obvious to anyone who will take the trouble to read the letterpress and examine the plates. About one thousand three hundred specimens of Egyptian Seals and Signet-rings are figured, but these have been selected from drawings of some seven thousand, and from an examination of over thirty thousand examples. It may be noticed that the splendid collection preserved in the National Museum at Cairo has been drawn from but sparingly: this is due to the fact that M. Maspero had already commissioned me to prepare and publish a separate catalogue of the unique collection which is in that great savant’s care. The manuscript of this catalogue is now finished, and it will be published early in the coming year.

viiI have to thank the Keepers of Public Museums and many owners of Private Collections for the courtesy and kindness that they have shown in allowing me to inspect and draw from the specimens in their possession. To Prof. Erman and Dr. Schäfer I am indebted for plaster casts of the Berlin Museum seals; and to Prof. Petrie I am indebted for his generosity in placing at my disposal the magnificent historical series which he has gathered together at University College, London. To Mr. Walter Nash, F.S.A., I also wish to express my grateful thanks for much kindly help and encouragement in the earlier stages of this work; and in conclusion I must thank my friends and colleagues Prof. J. M. Mackay and Mr. John Garstang, for kindly looking through the proofs of this volume, and to the latter also for placing at my disposal the library of the Institute of Archæology of the University of Liverpool, wherein the manuscript has been completed.

Institute of Archæology,

University of Liverpool. 1905.

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  PAGE Preface V   Introduction to the Study of Egyptian Seals:—   (1) General Remarks 1 (2) Importance of the Seal in Ancient Times 4 (3) Origin of the Seal 8 (4) The various Uses of the Seal:—   (a) For securing property 12 (b) For authenticating documents, etc. 22 (c) For transference of authority 26 (5) The Egyptian Officials concerned in the use of the Seal 29 (6) Seal Engravers and the Technique of Seal Engraving 40   The Varieties of Egyptian Seals:—   (1) Cylinder Seals 43 (2) Button-shaped Seals and Hemi-Cylinders 56 (3) Beetle-shaped Seals (Scarabs) 61 (4) Miscellaneous forms 85 (5) Signet-rings 92   Description of the Specimens illustrated in the Plates I-XLV 97   Indices:—   To Personal Names 201 To Titles 205 To Royal Names:—   (a) Kings 211 (b) Queens 216 (c) Princes 217 (d) Princesses 218   Footnotes 304   Plate I. Some specimens of rings Frontispiece.     ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT.     Fig.   PAGE 1, 2. Two jars of the First Dynasty, to illustrate the ancient method of sealing 13 3, 4. Complete jar neck, bearing the stamp of Amasis 14 5-7. Jars showing method of securing contents. (From paintings in the tombs at Beni Hasan) 16 8. A man sealing up a honey jar. (From a tomb at Abusîr) 17 9. A sealed jar. (From a painting in a tomb at Medûm) 17 10. A sealed bag. (From a painting in a tomb at Medûm) 17 11. Sealing of doors 20 12. Securing of folding doors 21 13. Sealing of boxes 22 14. A papyrus roll, tied up and sealed 23 15. The office of the Superintendent of the Seal 35 16. The working of the bow drill. (From the tomb of Rekhmara) 42 17. A mounted cylinder-seal. (In the Louvre) 45 18. A Cylinder-seal. (Figured in a tomb at Medûm) 45 19. Cylinder-seal. (Figured in a tomb at Sakkara) 45 20. An early cylinder-seal 46 21. A cylinder-seal bearing the name of Merŷ-ra. (In the collection of Mr. Piers) 46 22. A cylinder-seal of Amenemhat III 47 xii23. A cylinder-seal of Khŷan. (Cairo) 47 24. A cylinder-seal of Sen-mut. (Petrie Collection) 47 25. Impression from a cylinder-seal in the Berlin Museum 49 26. Impression from a cylinder-seal in the Berlin Museum 50 27. Cylinder-seal bearing personal name 51 28. Cylinder-seal bearing rude hieroglyphic inscriptions written in vertical columns 52 29. Royal seal of Narmer, predecessor of Mena, reproduced in outline 53 30. Royal seal of Zer, Mena’s successor; gives besides the name a figure of the monarch 53 31. Official cylinder-seal, with royal name 55 32. Official cylinder-seal bearing the name and titles of officials 55 33. Button-shaped seal 56 34. Hemi-cylinder seal 56 35. Button-shaped seal 57 36. Button-shaped seal 57 37. Button-shaped seal 57 38. Button-shaped seal 57 39. Button-shaped seal 58 40. Button-shaped seal 58 41. Button-shaped seal 59 42. Button-shaped seal 59 43. Button-shaped seal 59 44. Button-shaped seal 59 45. Button-shaped seal 59 46. Button-shaped seal 59 47. Hemi-cylinder seal 60 48. Hemi-cylinder seal 60 49. Hemi-cylinder seal 60 50. Hemi-cylinder seal 60 51. Hemi-cylinder seal 60 52. Clay stamp from the terramare of Montale in the Modenese 61 xiii53. Scarab-shaped seal worn on the finger, attached by a piece of string 62 54. Scarab-shaped seal mounted as swivel to metal ring 62 55. Scarab-shaped seal enclosed in metal frame or funda 62 56. Scarab bearing the name of Mer-en-ra 68 57. Scarab bearing the names Thothmes III and Amenhetep II 68 58. Specimen of a Scarab-beetle (the real Scarabæus sacer) 70 59. Specimens of scarabs from El Mahasna 70 60. Specimen scarabs of the Twelfth Dynasty 71 61. Specimen scarabs of the Twelfth Dynasty 71 62. Specimen scarabs of the Twelfth Dynasty 71 63. Specimen scarabs of the Twelfth Dynasty 71 64. Specimen scarabs of the Thirteenth Dynasty 72 65. Specimen scarabs of the Hyksos Period 72 66. Specimen scarabs of the Hyksos Period 72 67. Specimen scarabs of the Hyksos Period 72 68. Specimen scarabs of the Hyksos Period 73 69. Specimen scarabs of the Hyksos Period 73 70. Specimen scarabs of the Early Eighteenth Dynasty 73 71. Specimen scarabs of the Early Eighteenth Dynasty 73 72. Specimen scarabs of the Early Eighteenth Dynasty 74 73. Specimen scarabs of the Middle Eighteenth Dynasty 74 74. Specimen scarabs of the Amenhetep III 74 75. Specimen scarabs of the Nineteenth Dynasty 74 76. Specimen scarabs of the Nineteenth Dynasty 75 77. Specimen scarabs of the Nineteenth Dynasty 75 78. Specimen scarabs of the Nineteenth Dynasty 75 79. Specimen scarabs of the Nineteenth Dynasty 75 80. Specimen scarabs of the Ethiopian dominion 76 81. Specimen scarabs of the Ethiopian dominion 76 82. Scarab of Usertsen I 80 83. A seal of the Twelfth Dynasty 85 84. A seal of the Eighteenth Dynasty 85 85. A seal of the Eleventh Dynasty 86 xiv86. A seal of the Eleventh Dynasty 86 87. A seal bearing the name of King Mentuhetep 87 88. Specimen seals of the Eighteenth Dynasty 87 89. Specimen seals of the Eighteenth Dynasty 87 90. Specimen seals of the Eighteenth Dynasty 87 91. Specimen seals of the Eighteenth Dynasty 87 92. Specimen seals of the Eighteenth Dynasty 87 93. A seal bearing the name of King Amenemhat III 88 94. A stamp seal 88 95. A seal bearing the name of King Seqen-en-ra 89 96. A seal bearing the name of King Sa-Amen 89 97. A stamp seal 89 98. A seal bearing the name of King Thothmes III 90 99. A seal bearing the name of the Hyksos Period 90 100. A seal bearing the name of the Twelfth Dynasty 90 101. A seal bearing the name of the Twelfth Dynasty 90 102. A seal bearing the name of the Eighteenth Dynasty 90 103. A seal bearing the name of Rameses II 90 104. A seal of the Saïte Period 91 105. A seal of Thirtieth Dynasty 91 106. A seal of Nekhtenebo 92 107. A ring of Usertsen III 93 108. A ring of the Thirteenth Dynasty 93 109. A ring of the Thirteenth Dynasty 93 110. A ring of Thothmes III 94 111. A ring of the period of Akhenaten 94 112. A ring of the Twentieth Dynasty 94 113. A ring of the Twentieth Dynasty 94 114. A ring of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty 95 115. A ring of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty 95 116. A ring of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty 95 PLATE   I. Some specimens of rings. II. Scene representing the Chancellor of Tût-ankh-Amen investing a Governor of Ethiopia with the signet-ring of office. III. Pre-dynastic cylinder-seals. IV. Impressions of early cylinder-seals. V. Cylinder-seals of the Fourth to Sixth Dynasties. VI. Cylinder-seals of the Twelfth Dynasty. VII. Cylinder-seals of the Twelfth to Seventeenth Dynasties. VIII. Miscellaneous cylinder-seals. IX. Scarabs bearing royal names. Fourth to Twelfth Dynasties. X. Scarabs of the kings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dynasties. XI. Scarabs of officials of the Twelfth to Fourteenth Dynasties. XII. Scarabs of officials of the Twelfth to Fourteenth Dynasties—continued. XIII. Scarabs of officials of the Twelfth to Fourteenth Dynasties—continued. XIV. Scarabs of officials of the Twelfth to Fourteenth Dynasties—continued. XV. Scarabs of officials of the Twelfth to Fourteenth Dynasties—continued. XVI. Scarabs of officials of the Twelfth to Fourteenth Dynasties—continued. XVII. Scarabs of officials of the Twelfth to Fourteenth Dynasties—continued. XVIII. Decorative Scarabs: Twelfth to Eighteenth Dynasties. XIX. Decorative Scarabs: Twelfth to Eighteenth Dynasties—continued. XX. Decorative Scarabs: Twelfth to Eighteenth Dynasties—continued. XXI. Scarabs of the Hyksos Kings. (I). XXII. Scarabs of the Hyksos Kings. (II). XXIII. Scarabs of royal and other personages of the Hyksos Period. xviXXIV. Miscellaneous scarabs of the Hyksos Period. XXV. Decorative scarabs, mostly of the Hyksos Period. XXVI. Scarabs of kings, etc., mostly of the Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Dynasties. XXVII. Scarabs of the Eighteenth Dynasty. (Thothmes I to Hatshepsut.) XXVIII. Scarabs of the Eighteenth Dynasty—continued. (Thothmes III and his family.) XXIX. Officials of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and kings, etc., from the tomb of Maket, at Gurob (temp. Thothmes III). XXX. Scarab of the Eighteenth Dynasty—continued. XXXI. Scarab of the Eighteenth Dynasty—continued. XXXII. Historical scarabs of Amenhetep III:   1. Kirgipa and her Harîm.   2. The Lion Hunts of Amenhetep III.   3. The Parents of Queen Thŷi and the Limits of the Egyptian Empire. XXXIII. Historical scarabs of Amenhetep III—continued:   1. The Wild Cattle hunt.   2. The Lake at Zarukha. XXXIV. Scarabs of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Dynasties. XXXV. Scarabs of the Nineteenth Dynasty (Rameses II). XXXVI. Scarabs bearing royal names: Meren-ptah I to Sa-Amen. XXXVII. Scarabs of the Twenty-second to Twenty-fifth Dynasty Kings. XXXVIII. Royal and private scarabs and rings (Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Dynasties). XXXIX. Scarabs bearing mottoes, good wishes, etc. XL. Scarabs bearing mottoes, good wishes, etc.—continued. XLI. Scarabs bearing names of figures of gods, etc. XLII. Hieroglyphics, flowers, etc. XLIII. Miscellaneous royal and private scarabs. XLIV. Miscellaneous royal and private scarabs—continued.

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