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    Hieroglyphics

    LO: To understand and explain the distinctive features of different historical periods. 

     

     

    What are hieroglyphics?

     

    The ancient Egyptians invented one of the earliest known writing systems used from around 3000 BC.
    The symbols they used were called  hieroglyphs, which comes from a Greek word meaning ‘sacred carving’.
    The ancient Egyptians believed that hieroglyphs had been invented by the gods.
    The Rosetta stone was discovered in 1799 AD. It is a three-foot high stone containing hieroglyphs, everyday ancient Egyptian language and a Greek translation. Since Greek was understood, the hieroglyphs could then be translated into modern European languages, so the Rosetta stone was the key to the hieroglyphic code.

     

     

    How were they written?

    A cartoon of a hand writing symbols on a piece of papyrus.

    Some signs were phonetic, which means they stood for sounds. Hieroglyphs inspired the first alphabets, including the Latin alphabet which we use today.
    Hieroglyphs could be written vertically, horizontally, left to right, or right to left! The phonetic hieroglyph alphabet is the closest version to our modern English alphabet.

     

    Real Hieroglyphics

    In this image an official of Pharaoh Mentuhotep II called Maati sits in front of an offering table. It looks like a carving related to a funeral because the table is a stand with tall leaves. Food offerings float above the table and below it is a bowl for Maati to wash himself. The hieroglyph text on the right are traditional passages carved to remember the dead.

    Stone carving of Gatekeeper Maati, ca. 2051–2030BC

     

    This is a section from a piece of papyrus (ancient Egyptian paper) that was over 17 feet long. It shows a singer named Nany on her journey into the afterlife. The hieroglyphs are phrases from the 'Book of the Dead'. Nany is at the final stage in her journey into the afterlife. She is at the Hall of Judgement, standing in front of Osiris, the God of the Underworld.

    Book of the Dead for the Singer of Amun, Nany, ca. 1050BC

     

    Main Task

    The hieroglyphic alphabet

    1. Cut paper into strips. Inch thick.
    2. Cover the strips with glue on both sides and place on foil.
    3. Dry with a hairdryer.
    4. Write your name on paper using hieroglyphics.

     

     

     

     

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