In 'History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery', H.R. Hall and L.W. King have meticulously curated a comprehensive anthology that captures the essence and breadth of ancient Near Eastern civilizations through the prism of modern archaeological findings. This collection stands out for its ambitious scope, covering a vast expanse of time and geography, and for the diversity of its literary forms, which include scholarly essays, historical narratives, and critical analyses. The anthology sheds light on the interconnectedness of these ancient civilizations and their collective impact on the development of human history, culture, and thought, marking it as a significant contribution to the field of Near Eastern studies. The editors, Hall and King, are esteemed scholars whose expertise and scholarly work significantly contribute to our understanding of ancient Near Eastern civilizations. Their backgrounds in Egyptology and Assyriology, respectively, provide a solid foundation for this anthology, aligning with major historical and cultural movements of the era. Together, they present a nuanced perspective that respects the complexity of these ancient societies and the advanced state of their art, architecture, governance, and philosophical thought. This anthology is an essential addition to the library of any reader interested in the ancient world, offering a unique opportunity to explore the rich tapestry of Near Eastern civilizations through a modern lens. It invites readers to immerse themselves in the depth and diversity of perspectives, styles, and themes curated by Hall and King, fostering an educational journey that is as enlightening as it is engaging. For scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike, this collection promises to deepen the understanding of ancient civilizations and stimulate further exploration and discussion of their enduring legacy.

CHAPTER I-THE DISCOVERY OF PREHISTORIC EGYPT During the last ten years our conception of the beginnings of Egyptian antiquity has profoundly altered. When Prof. Maspero published the first volume of his great Histoire Ancienne des Peuples des l'Orient Classique, in 1895, Egyptian history, properly so called, still began with the Pyramid-builders, Sne-feru, Khufu, and Khafra (Cheops and Chephren), and the legendary lists of earlier kings preserved at Abydos and Sakkara were still quoted as the only source of knowledge of the time before the IVth Dynasty. Of a prehistoric Egypt nothing was known, beyond a few flint flakes gathered here and there upon the desert plateaus, which might or might not tell of an age when the ancestors of the Pyramid-builders knew only the stone tools and weapons of the primeval savage. Now, however, the veil which has hidden the beginnings of Egyptian civilization from us has been lifted, and we see things, more or less, as they actually were, unobscured by the traditions of a later day. Until the last few years nothing of the real beginnings of history in either Egypt or Mesopotamia had been found; legend supplied the only material for the reconstruction of the earliest history of the oldest civilized nations of the globe. Nor was it seriously supposed that any relics of prehistoric Egypt or Mesopotamia ever would be found. The antiquity of the known history of these countries already appeared so great that nobody took into consideration the possibility of our discovering a prehistoric Egypt or Mesopotamia; the idea was too remote from practical work. And further, civilization in these countries had lasted so long that it seemed more than probable that all traces of their prehistoric age had long since been swept away. Yet the possibility, which seemed hardly worth a moment's consideration in 1895, is in 1905 an assured reality, at least as far as Egypt is concerned. Prehistoric Babylonia has yet to be discovered. It is true, for example, that at Mukay-yar, the site of ancient Ur of the Chaldees, burials in earthenware coffins, in which the skeletons lie in the doubled-up position characteristic of Neolithic interments, have been found; but there is no doubt whatever that these are burials of a much later date, belonging, quite possibly, to the Parthian period. Nothing that may rightfully be termed prehistoric has yet been found in the Euphrates valley, whereas in Egypt prehistoric antiquities are now almost as well known and as well represented in our museums as are the prehistoric antiquities of Europe and America. With the exception of a few palasoliths from the surface of the Syrian desert, near the Euphrates valley, not a single implement of the Age of Stone has yet been found in Southern Mesopotamia, whereas Egypt has yielded to us the most perfect examples of the flint-knapper's art known, flint tools and weapons more beautiful than the finest that Europe and America can show. The reason is not far to seek. Southern Mesopotamia is an alluvial country, and the ancient cities, which doubtless mark the sites of the oldest settlements in the land, are situated in the alluvial marshy plain between the Tigris and the Euphrates; so that all traces of the Neolithic culture of the country would seem to have disappeared, buried deep beneath city-mounds, clay and marsh....