Review of In the females the differences between the social classes are less pronounced than in
the physical males, but they are of precisely the same nature. A t Abydos for the first time the
the Sixth median of the female cephalic index falls within the mesaticephalic division.
to the
Eighteenth
Dynasties.
It is to be noted that the negroid element is not confined to one social class, for the
proportion of negroid males at Abydos is only slightly less than on the other two sites.
In the females the proportion is actually greater at Abydos, which suggests that the
women of the negroid stock shared with others of their sex the favours of the nobles and
high officials.
In the separate race-stocks the non-negroid males exhibit medians of cranial capacity
and cephalic index either equal to or slightly in advance of the negroid. The same is
true of the females, except at Abydos in the Eighteenth Dynasty, where the median cranial
capacity of the negroid women exceeds that of the non-negroid by 80 cc. This is in
harmony with the opinion just expressed that these women were specially selected on
account of their physique and accomplishments. In regard to the facial features amongst
the males, the two stocks are most widely differentiated at Hou, where the negroid
element exists in a very pronounced form; this is partly to be explained by the inclusion
of the pure-blooded negro element (‘Pan-graves’) to which reference has already been
made. There is a closer assimilation of the opposite types with regard to the nasal index
in the Shekh Ali males (Eighteenth Dynasty), and with regard to the facial in those of the
Eighteenth Dynasty at Abydos. It is noteworthy that among the females the strongest
contrast between the opposed groups is not found (as it was among the males) at Hou
but in the two series from Abydos. In regard to facial projection the negroid stock is
consistently more prognathic than the non-negroid.
CH A P T E R XI
DETAILED EXAMINATION OF TH E PTOLEMAIC AND ROMAN
PERIODS
T h e present chapter deals with the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, thus carrying the
physical record from the end of the fourth century before Christ down to the time of the
Mohammedan conquest. The method of procedure is the same as that adopted in the last
two chapters, first the. whole evidence is formulated (cf. Table i and Plates x-xv), then the
most important points in it are summarized, and lastly some general conclusions are drawn.
U n d iv id e d S e r ie s . Ma l e s .
(a) Cephalic In d e x , f n th e P to lem a ic p e r io d th e p e r c e n t a g e d is t r ib u t io n o f d o lic h o c e p h a ly , Formulation
m e s a t ic e p h a ly a n d b r a c h y c e p h a ly , a n d th e m e d ia n o f th e c e p h a lic in d e x a r e n o t co n s p ic u o u s ly o f evidence,
d iffe r e n t from th o s e o f s e v e ra l o th e r serie s .
I n th e R om a n p e r io d th e m e d ia n o f th e c e p h a lic in d e x is h ig h e r th a n a t a n y o th e r t im e in th e
h is to r y , fa l l in g in d e e d ju s t w ith in th e m e s a t ic e p h a lic d iv is io n . S im i l a r l y t h e r e is a n in c r e a s e in th e
p e r c e n ta g e o f b r a c h y c e p h a ls a n d a d e c r e a s e in th a t o f d o lic h o c ep h a ls .
(b) Capacity. T h e m e d ian s o f th e P to lem a ic an d R om a n p e r io d s a r e id e n t ic a l w i th th o s e o f th e
L a t e P r e d y n a s t i c a n d E a r l y P r e d y n a s t ic r e s p e c t iv e ly . T h u s th e y a ls o r e s em b le th e E i g h t e e n th
D y n a s t y from S h e k h A l i an d th e T w e l f th t o F if t e e n th D y n a s t ie s from H o u , w h ile t h e y a r e in
s t r ik in g c o n t r a s t t o th e E i g h t e e n th D y n a s t y from A b y d o s .
T h e R om a n p e r io d , w h ic h h a s a m e d ian 20 e c . low e r th a n th e P to lem a ic , h a s , co r r e sp o n d in g ly ,
1 2 p e r c e n t , m o re m ic r o e ep h a lic sp e c im e n s . T h e fa c t t h a t th e f a l l in c a p a c i t y in th e R om a n p e r io d is
y e t a c c om p a n ie d b y a r is e in th e c e p h a li c in d e x is p o s s ib ly a s so c ia te d w ith th e in c r e a se in th e
p e r c e n t a g e o f a c r o c e p h a lic e x a m p le s ; w ith r e g a rd t o s ta tu r e th e d a t a a r e t o o s c a n t y t o a llo w o f a n y
in feren c e s .
(c) V e r t i c a l In d e x . I n th e P to lem a ic p e r io d t h e p e r c e n ta g e o f m a le s w i th lo w v a u lt s is h ig h e r th an
in a n y o th e r . S im i la r ly th e a r i thm e t ic a l m e a n (s e e su p p lem e n t , C h a r t I M) is th e low e s t wh ich , o c c u r s
fo r th is in d e x a t a n y t im e e x c e p t th e T h i r t ie th D y n a s t y .
A m o n g th e R om a n m a le s th e r e a r e 6 p e r c en t , m o re e x am p le s w i th h ig h v a u lt s th a n am o n g th e
P to lem a ic . T h e r e a r e 5 p e r c e n t , few e r w i th lo w v a u lt s , b u t in s p i te o f th is th e R om a n s e r ie s h a s th e
s e c o n d h ig h e s t p e r c e n t a g e o f l o w v a u lt s w h ic h o c cu r s .
(d) F a c ia l In d e x . T h e m e d ian o f th e fa c ia l in d e x in th e P to lem a ic p e r io d fa lls w ith in th e
m e s o p ro s o p ic d iv is io n , w h ic h o th e rw is e h a s o n ly h a p p e n e d in th e F i r s t D y n a s t y an d in th e T h i r t ie th
D y n a s t y . S im i la r ly th e p e r c e n ta g e -d is t r ib u t io n sh ow s le s s le p to p r o s o p y th a n in a n y p e r io d .
In th e R om a n p e r io d th e m e d ian is , a s fo rm e r ly , w ith in th e le p to p ro so p ic d iv is io n an d
c o r r e sp o n d in g ly th e r e a r e 8 p e r c en t , m o re le p to p ro so p ic s p e c im e n s th a n in th e P to lem a ic series.
(e) N a s a l In d e x . I n th e P to lem a ic p e r io d th e m e d ian is th e s am e a s in th e E ig h t e e n th D y n a s t y
from A b y d o s . T h e p e r c e n ta g e -d is t r ib u t io n , h ow e v e r , is d iffe r e n t, s h ow in g a sm a lle r p ro p o r t io n o f
le p to rh in e s p e c im e n s th an in a n y p e r io d su b s e q u e n t to th e T w e l f th D y n a s t y .
In th e R om a n p e r io d th e m e d ian rem a in s v i r tu a l ly u n c h a n g e d from w h a t i t w a s in th e P to lem a ic ;
b u t th e r e is a s lig h t ly h ig h e r p e r c e n ta g e a t o n c e o f le p to r h in y an d o f p la t y r h in y .
(f) O r th o g n a th ism a n d P r o g n a th ism . In th e P to lem a ic p e r io d th e p e r c e n t a g e o f p ro g n a th ic
s p e c im en s is lo w e r th a n in a n y p re v io u s t im e e x c e p t a t A b y d o s in th e E i g h t e e n th D y n a s t y .
A m o n g th e R om a n m a le s p ro gn a th ism is e n t ir e ly a b s en t.
In b o th p e r io d s th e r e is m o r e h y p e r o r th o g n a th ism th a n a t a n y p re v io u s p o in t in th e h is to r y .