Since it deals with the realm of human history, archeology is the final voice as to the antiquity and culture of man. No race of man has ever lived upon the face of this earth and failed to leave some relics or evidences of its existence and culture. The science of anthropology postulates the beginning of the human family somewhere in Mesopotamia. The Bible is a little more specific, in that it states that it was in that portion of Mesopotamia which lies between the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. The oldest relics of man, however, are not found in Mesopotamia. This is due to the climatic conditions in certain parts of that ancient land. The rainfall is heavy. We have ourselves suffered great inconvenience, delay, and loss by being isolated from our objective in Mesopotamia by floods that filled the wadies and gullies and made travel impossible. Also, the outlying country is underlaid to a great extent by water. When excavators dig but a short way into the strata of that land, they are handicapped and hindered by seepage. Because of this excess moisture, some of the oldest relics of our race have been destroyed by the ravages of time and the power of the elements. The situation in Egypt, however, is quite the opposite. In most of that land there is no rain and in no part of that bleak country do we experience frost. The climate is dry to the utmost extreme, and the soil is largely sand. Due to this natural condition, the oldest records of the human race are found in Egypt. The oldest records of man and the most complete records so far recovered of his early existence have been preserved for us by this combination of climate and soil. Since the Egyptians buried in sand or in stone tombs, the deposits being protected from the elements, man was the only destroyer. Even though there has been a sad record of vandalism, as ruthless hands of the ignorant have despoiled magnificent tombs of priceless records and information, there is much that remained undisturbed. The people of Egypt built for endurance. The mighty pyramids, from Sakkara to the Great Pyramid; the Colossi at Luxor and the awe-inspiring ruins of Karnak, are present evidences of the durability of their labors. (See plates 2, 3 and 4.) Because of the strange beliefs concerning the life after death, these people also buried for eternity. We shall later consider, in the light of their customs and religious practices, the tremendous value that modern civilization has derived from this ancient fact. We have mentioned this fact now merely to note that the greatest treasure trove of preserved antiquity is found in the land of Egypt. Plate 2 [Illustration: Magnificent example of embellished statue, conveying the name, hopes, and some of the record of an early ruler] [Illustration: Colossi at Luxor] [Illustration: The Sheltered Wife]