N this, my second volume of researches into the early history of civilization, I have chosen a wider area, and a more extended investigation than in" The Megalithic Culture of Indonesia." As the inquiry proceeds, and general principles become clearer, it is easier to manipulate large masses of facts. This gives reason to hope that before long it will be possible to handle world-wide masses of facts with fair ease, and to set out the history of civilization in a limited number of general proposi-} tions capable of ready verification. I have adopted, in this work, the device of sketch-maps to help the reader to appreciate the geographical distributions of culture. In" The Megalithic Culture of Indonesia" distribution tables were used, but they are not so very satisfactory at this stage of the science. Perhaps as time goes on it will be possible to use them with greater success. For the present, it seems to me that maps help the reader to a greater extent, enabling him to realize the manner of spread of culture over wide regions. Through the generosity of my publishers, I am able to include sixteen sketch maps, fourteen of which are in two colours, which show the reader at a glance the relationships between the different sorts of distributions that they depict. In the first map I have indicated the whole of the region under examination, and have marked some of the places that are important in the discussion. I have to thank several kind helpers. Professor Unwin, of this University, suggested to me the scheme of the book, and I owe much to his kindly interest and criticism. Professor Canney, and Mr. J. Wilfrid Jackson of the Manchester Museum, have helped me in various ways. Miss Winifred M. Crompton, Assistant Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities in the Manchester Museum, has afforded me constant and untiring help, especially in the chapter on Egypt. She undertook for me the laborious task of searching the mastaba inscriptions for details of marriages, and has thereby supplied me with much valuable information. vii