Wilkinson, John Gardner; Birch, Samuel [Contr.]: The Egyptians in the time of the pharaohs: being a companion to the Crystal Palace Egyptian collections (London, 1857)

6S

DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE EGYPTIANS.

thickness that, while the light was admitted, little sun could
penetrate into the building.

~^~% . "HI islili

- - ■

m' v

(W. 4S.)

The houses were of crude brick, stone being chiefly confined
to sacred edifices; and some of the rooms were vaulted, as
were the granaries. For the arch, as I shall have occasion to
show, was of very early invention in Egypt, and was commonly
introduced in the tombs, at least as early as the sixteenth
century before our era, or 3400 years ago.

The use of bricks baked in the sun was universal throughout
the country; and the government, taking advantage of the
general want, secured a monopoly of them; so that bricks
without an oflicial stamp of the king, or of some licensed