Dr. Reisner's Lecture

Dr. George A. Reisner '89 delivered an interesting lecture in the Fogg Lecture Room last evening on the work of the Hearst Egyptian expedition. Dr. Reisner presented a series of slides, illustrating the work of excavation of graves and tombs from the pre-historic period to and including the fifth and sixth dynasties. These photographs show not only the precise method by which the excavating is being done, but also the contents of the graves and tombs.

The contents include besides the human remains, various kinds of pottery, stone vessels, and amulets made of gold or some kinds of precious stones. The skeleton remains are in most cases intact, and in some of the graves perfectly preserved bodies have been found. In the earlier dynasties, the bodies are buried facing towards the west with the knees drawn up close to the body, while in the fifth and sixth dynasties the bodies invariably face to the east and lie more fully extended.

The chief conclusions that have been reached in consequence of these recent excavations are that there are no essential anatomical differences between this ancient Egyptian race and the modern race, and that from the sixth dynasty to the period of the introduction of foreign elements into Egypt, no essential changes in manners and customs took place. Dr. Reisner closed with a fitting tribute to Mrs. Hearst, who has made the present expedition possible.