81. The
copper-
smith |
Pyramid Age, for the horse was still unknown to the Egyptian.
The donkey, however, is everywhere, and it would be impossible to harvest
the grain without him (Fig. 46).
FIG. 45. PEASANT
MILKING IN THE PYRAMID AGE
The cow is restive and the ancient cow-herd has tied her
hind legs. Behind her another man is holding her calf, which rears and
plunges in the effort to reach the milk. Scene from the chapel of a noble’s
tomb (Fig. 42) |
On the next wall we find again the tall figure
of the noble overseeing the booths and yards where the craftsmen of his
estate are working. Yonder is the smith. He has never heard of his
ancestor who picked up the first bead of copper, over a thousand years
earlier (§ 65).
Much progress has been made since that day. This man could make excellent
copper tools of all sorts; but the tool |
which demanded the greatest skill was the long, flat rip saw, which
the smith knew how to hammer into shape out of a broad strip of copper
five or six feet long. Such a saw
| may be seen in use in Fig.
50. Besides this he knew how to make one that would saw
great blocks of stone for the pyramids. More- over, this coppersmith was
already able to deliver orders of consider- able size. We know that
he could furnish thirteen hundred feet (about a quarter of a mile) of copper
drain piping for a pyramid temple (Fig. 56),
where recent excavation has found it — the earliest plumbing known to us. |
FIG. 46. DONKEY CARRYING
A LOAD
OF GRAIN SHEAVES IN THE PYRAMID AGE
The foal accompanies its mother while at work. Scene from
the chapel of a noble’s tomb (Fig. 42) |
|