, 1974, p. 3). Use of graphic symbology begins even earlier - to pre-dynastic, Bronze Age Egypt. 4242 B.C. is generally accepted as the invention of the Egyptian calendar (Lambelet, Art treasures, 1968, p. 6), the first great collection of Egyptian symbols in a unified form. The calendar really marks the beginning of Egyptian civilization and art, for the concept of Time was an integral part of their worldview. Time - and the understanding of its temporal manifestations - was the key to the Egyptian zeitgeist and their successful establishment of a civilization that was to endure for several millennia.
To understand the magnitude of the Egyptian accomplishment in establishing a thriving civilization, one must understand the odds against them. With the exception of vast expanses of inhospitable desert, there is only a very narrow band of arable land in Egypt (3%), all of it bordering the Nile River and no more than twelve miles wide in the best regions (Strelocke, 1965, p. 4). By understanding the timetable of flood and fire associated with the river and the desert clime, the ancient Egyptians were able to "tame" nature and develop a prosperous agricultural base. Based upon observations of the constellations, the Egyptian calendar amounted to a total of 365? days and was divided into three seasons of four
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