Notwithstanding the fact that Egyptology is now recognised as a science,an exact and communicable knowledge of whose existence and scope it behovesall modern culture to take cognisance, this work of M. Maspero stillremains the Handbook of Egyptian Archaeology. But Egyptology is as yet inits infancy; whatever their age, Egyptologists will long die young. Everyyear, almost every month, fresh material for the study is found, freshlight is thrown upon it by the progress of excavation, exploration, andresearch. Hence it follows that, in the course of a few years, the standardtext-books require considerable addition and modification if they are to beof the greatest value to students, who must always start from the foremostvantage-ground.
The increasing demand for the Egyptian Archaeology by English andAmerican tourists, as well as students, decided the English publishers toissue a new edition in as light and portable a form as possible. Thisedition is carefully corrected, and contains the enlarged letterpress andmany fresh illustrations necessary for incorporating within the bookadequate accounts of the main archaeological results of recent Egyptianexcavations. M. Maspero has himself revised the work, indicated all thenumerous additions, and qualified the expression of any views which he hasseen reason to modify in the course of his researches during the past eightyears. By the headings of the pages, the descriptive titles of theillustrations, and a minute revision of the index, much has been done tofacilitate the use of the volume as a book of reference. In that capacityit will be needed by the student long after he first makes acquaintancewith its instructive and abundant illustrations and its luminouscondensation of the archaeological facts and conclusions which have beenelucidated by Egyptology through the devotion of many an arduous lifetimeduring the present century, and, not least, by the unremitting labours ofM. Maspero.
April, 1895.
To put this book into English, and thus to hand it on to thousands whomight not otherwise have enjoyed it, has been to me a very congenial andinteresting task. It would be difficult, I imagine, to point to any work ofits scope and character which is better calculated to give lasting delightto all classes of readers. For the skilled archaeologist, its pages containnot only new facts, but new views and new interpretations; while to thosewho know little, or perhaps nothing, of the subjects under discussion, itwill open a fresh and fascinating field of study. It is not enough to saythat a handbook of Egyptian Archaeology was much needed, and that ProfessorMaspero has given us exactly what we required. He has done much more thanthis. He has given us a picturesque, vivacious, and highly original volume,as delightful as if it were not learned, and as instructive as if it weredull.
As regards the practical side of Archaeology, it ought to be unnecessaryto point out that its usefulness is strictly parallel with the usefulnessof public museums. To collect and exhibit objects of ancient art andindustry is