Chapter V: Section XIV: Recent 81

O.—_Prehistoric._—Abundance of worked flints. Shores of lake
inhabited by Neolithic and probably prehistoric man. Tamarisk
remains. Probable age of flints anterior to Egyptian historic
period 82

P.—_Historic._—Relations of the Nile Valley river system and
the Fayûm. Lake Moeris a regulator of the Nile floods. Brought
under control in XIIth dynasty. Early references to Lake
Moeris. Its position disputed in modern times. Linant de
Bellefonds’ assertion disproved by Sir Hanbury Brown.
Archæological evidence for the site. Present day fauna of the
Birket el Qurûn. Modern deposits. Blown sand. Erosion 82

APPENDICES 87

1. Previous literature relating to the Fayûm 87

2. Fayûm lamellibranchs mentioned in Oppenheim’s “Zur Kenntnis
alttertiärer Faunen in Ægypten.” 89

INDEX 91

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

* * * * *

PHOTOGRAPHS.

PLATES. PAGE.

I. — North side of the Birket el Qurûn,
looking west _Frontispiece._

II. — Bahr Yusef at Lahûn before entering
the Fayûm _to face_ 11

III. — El Wadi, Ravine near Qasr Gebali „ 19

IV. — Western extremity of the Birket el Qurûn „ 29

V. — Alluvial deposits overlying marly
limestones (Ravine Beds) in El Wadi,
Ravine near Qasr Gebali „ 37

VI. — Escarpment of the Birket el Qurûn series
near the western end of the lake „ 41

VII. — Weathered concretionary sandstone
(Birket el Qurûn series) on north shore,
near Geziret el Qorn „ 45

VIII. — Middle Eocene escarpment (Qasr el Sagha
series) 12 kilometres west of Qasr el
Sagha „ 49

IX. — Upper beds of Fluvio-marine series with
basalt cap, looking west from the
eastern extremity of Jebel el Qatrani „ 53

X. — El Qatrani range from the south-east „ 57

XI. — Silicified trees of Fluvio-marine
series, 4½ kilometres north of Qasr el
Sagha „ 63

XII. — Raised Beach unconformably overlying
Middle Eocene limestones (Birket el
Qurûn series) in the desert east of
Sersena „ 69

XIII. — Borings in false-bedded sandstone, 2
kilometres south of Dimê „ 73

XIV. — Pleistocene lacustrine clays with
tamarisk stumps _in situ_ at 50 metres
above the present surface of the Birket
el Qurûn „ 77

XV. — Isolated sand-dune near Gar el Gehannem „ 81

XVI. — The Birket el Qurûn near the western end „ 85

PLANS.

XVII. — General Map of the Fayûm depression, with Wadi Rayan
and Wadi Muêla, 1/250000 end

XVIII. — Map of the area north-west of Qasr el Sagha, showing
principal bone-bearing localities, 1/50000 „

SECTIONS.

XIX. — From the Birket el Qurûn through Dimê and Qasr el
Sagha to the summit of Jebel el Qatrani end

XX. — From Wadi Rayan to the summit of the escarpment
north of Gar el Gehannem „

XXI. — The Desert Ridge separating the Nile Valley and
the Fayûm „

XXII. — From Sidmant el Jebel in the Nile Valley through
Medinet el Fayûm to the summit of Jebel el Qatrani,
near Widan el Faras „

XXIII. — Middle Eocene escarpment near Qasr el Sagha „

XXIV. — From Garat el Esh to summit of Jebel el Qatrani „

FIGURES (IN THE TEXT.)

1. — Fault near Qasr el Sagha 32

2. — Section at Gar el Gehannem, showing the relation of
the Wadi Rayan series to the Ravine Beds 38

3. — Sketch-section across El Bats, one kilometre west
of Sêla 40

4. — Profile of beds of Geziret el Qorn 44

5. — Section of cliffs, western end of the Birket el-Qurûn 47

6. — Probable course of chief river of Upper Eocene and
Oligocene times 67

7. — Block of sandstone pierced by numerous borings 72

8. — Sketch showing relations of the Eocene to Pliocene
gravel terraces on the east side of the Fayûm 74

9. — Sketch-section through the summit of the Fayûm
escarpment at Elwat Hialla 76

10. — Sketch-map showing approximately the site of
Lake Mœris 83