The following general conclusions may be drawn from the table:—
I. At the earlier periods there are well-marked epochs of temple-building revealed by the table.
II. If we can accept the possible Canopus temples referred to in Chapter XXX., the oldest foundations in Egypt yet traced are to southern stars. They are limited to Upper Egypt, and date from before 6000 B.C.
III. The temples to the north stars, α Ursæ Majoris, γ Draconis, and Capella (Set and Ptah), begin in the Delta and about 1000 years later. The series is then broken till about 3500 B.C.
IV. The south star temples to Phact at the summer solstice, and α Centauri at the autumnal equinox, begin about 3700 B.C.
V. γ Draconis replaces α Ursæ Majoris at Denderah; north-star temples are for the first time erected in the south at Karnak and Dakkeh in 3500 B.C.
VI. For the first time about 3200 B.C., north-and south-star temples are built simultaneously.
VII. After this the building activity is chiefly limited to temples to southern stars.
If we take Brugsch's dates, we find that the foundations of the greatest number of temples were laid about the time of Seneferu, Pepi, and the twelfth dynasty. The more modern kings founded few temples—their functions were those of expanding, restoring, and annexing. Even Thothmes III. seems to have laid no new foundations except perhaps that of the Ptah temple at Karnak, and that is doubtful.
The wonderful Hall of Columns called Khu-mennu (Splendid Memorial), in the temple of Amen-Rā, was dedicated by Thothmes III. not only to Amen-Rā, but to his ancestors. It is important to see who these were in the present connection. I give them with approximate dates.[128]