PETRIE, ps-'tri, WILLIAM MATTHEW FLIN DERS (1853—). An English Egyptologist, born at Charlton, June 3, 1553, the son of William Pe trie and Anne, daughter of Captain Alatthew Flinders, the Australian explorer. He was edu cated at private schools, and at first. turned his attention to the study of British arehamlogy. His earliest works were hullo-tire Metrology (Lon don, 1577), and Stonehenge: Plans, Descriptions aml Theories (London, 18S(1). After 1880 he oceupied himself with the investigation of Egyp tian antiquities, and made many valuable discov eries. Between 1884 nod 1556 he excavated the site of Tanis, Naukratis, and Daphne null re vealed the existence of ancient Greek settlements at the two latter places. From 1588 to 1890 he worked in the Fayinn, finding a number of in teresting funeral portraits at Hawara, and gath ering an extensive collection of valuable papyri, ehictly from the ruins of Kabuli and (throb. In 1590 he discovered and excavated for the Pales tine Exploration Fund the site of ancient Lach ish at Tell el-Hesy, in Palestine. In 1593 he re
ceived the degree of D.C.L. from the University of Oxford and was appointed to the newly founded professorship of Egyptology at King's College, I.ondon. In 1595 he disowered the remains of a. prehistoric race at Nagada, and the following year found at Thebes the stele of Meneptah, con taining the sole mention of Israel occurring in the Egyptian inscriptions. After 1899 he inves tigated the very interesting tombs of the First Dynasty at Abdos. Among his more important works may be mentioned: The Pyramids and Temples of ahrh (1S83) ; Tanis, _Memoirs IL and V. of the Egyptian Exploration Fund ( 1585 87 ) ; (18S9); Kahan (1890): Ten Years' Diggings (1893) : .1 History of Egypt (2d ed. 1897) ; Egyptian Tales (1895-99) ; Re.
ligion and Conscience in Ancient Egypt (189S) ; Royal Tombs of the First Dynasty (1900-01).