424 C O M P A R A T IV E A N A T O M Y OF R A C E S ..
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taken possession of the country, and probably drove multitudes of
the native Egyptians before their invading swarms. These Pelasgic
beads, as before stated, resemble greatly the population of ancient
Hellas, of the heroic age; and instead of migrating to Greece from
Egypt in ancient times, similar tribes may have branched off from
their original abode in Asia direct to the Peloponnesus. The latter
view is strengthened by the fact that, in Greece, there are no traces
of Miotic customs, hieroglyphic writing, style of art, &c.; which
would have been the case had that country been colonized by
Egyptians.
These anatomical deductions, then, establish conclusively that, in
proportion as we ascend the Mle through Middle Egypt, the Asiatic
elements of the ancient crania diminish, to become replaced, after passing
Thebes, by others in which African comminglings are conspicuous.
Craniology, therefore, testifies to the accuracy of Lepsius’s opinion,
that the Hyksos invasion forced a large body of the Egyptians to
emigrate to, and sojourn for a long period in, the Nubias.472
One grand difficulty, however, still remains with regard to the
origin of the Egyptian type, as formerly understood, hut since disavowed,
by Morton. Thousands of paintings and sculptures on the
monuments prove that ancient Egyptian faces often present a strong
resemblance to the Grecian profile; hut, according to the preceding
table, there is a difference of eight cubic inches in the size of the
crania of the two races! 'Were not the Egyptians, then, such as^are
represented on the monuments of the A V 11th and succeeding dynasties,
a mixed Pelasgic and African race ?
To the authors of this volume, in common with Morton’s amended
views, as before and finally set forth [supra, p. 245], the Egyptians
had been once an aboriginally-Mlotic stock, pure and simple; upon
which, in after times, Semitic, Pelasgic and Nubian elements became
engrafted.
Our comments on monumental iconography [Chapters IV,, V.,
VH., VIH.] have demonstrated that almost every type of mankind,
of northwestern Asia, northern Africa,, with some of southern
Europe, is portrayed so faithfully, as to leave no doubt of the primitive
existence of distinct races; some of which we are enabled to
date back to the IVth dynasty, or 3400 years b . c. But it has been
objected that the drawing of the Egyptians was imperfect or conventional,
and therefore not to he relied upon. Such assertions, if again
obtruded at the present day, would merely argue small acquaintance
with the laws of Egyptian a rt;473 beeause, however false may be' the
canonical position given to the ear, however defective the non-foreshortening
of the eye, I defy B e n v e n u to C e l l in i himself to carve
profiles 1nore ethnologically-exact than those bas-relief effigies we
possess, in myriads, from the IVth down to the XXIId dynasties.
But, I proceed to give copies of various crania from the catacombs;
which most triumphantly confirm all preceding asseverations concerning
the accuracy of these Egyptian portrait-painters. The materials
are drawn mainly from the collection of Morton, which I have examined
carefully for myself. These heads, too, having been obtained
in Egypt, direct from the tombs, by one of the authors of this volume,'
I can speak authoritatively, because all attendant circumstances are
known to me.
»A large, elongate-oval head (Fig. 253), with, a hroad, high forehead, low coronal region,
and strongly aquiline nose. The orbits nearly round; teeth perfect and vertical.
Internal capacity 97 cubic inches; facial angle 7.7°. Pelasgic form." |S
Fio. 253. Fig. 254.
“ A beautifully-formed head (Fig. 254), with a
forehead, high, full, and nearly vertical, a good
coronal region, and largely-developed occiput. The
nasal bones are long and straight, and the whole
facial structure delicately proportioned. Age between
30 and 35 years. Internal capacity 88 cubic inches;
facial angle 81°. Pelasgic form.” 475
“ Skull of a woman of twenty years (Fig. 255) ?
with a beautifully-developed forehead, and remarkably
thin and delicate structure throughout. The
frontal suture remains. Internal capacity 82 cubic
inches; facial angle 80°. Pelasgic form.” 476
“ Head of a woman
(Fig. 256) 'of thirty, Fig. 256 477
of a faultless Caucasian
mould. The hair,
which is in profusion,'
is of a dark-brpwn
tint, and delicately
curled. Pelasgic fo rm ”
from Thebes.
The following series
(Figs. 257, 258, 259,
260, 261), illustrates
the Egyptian form.
Fig. 255.
Fig. 257.478