Ancient Egyptian

Hieroglyphics
Student Name
Date
Course
http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/hieroglyphics/images/hieroglyphics-2.jpg
 Introduction
• Writing or a form of record
keeping is an essential
characteristic that humans
must possess in order to be
considered a civilization
• Writing provides a civilization
with structure, order, and
organization and way
method for people to
cooperate with each other
• All ancient civilizations have
developed some form of a
written language, including
the ancient Egyptians

http://www.crystalinks.com/hieroglyphs3.jpg
 Introduction
• Writing emerged in
Egypt during the first
two dynasties (around
3000 BC-2650 BC)
• The Greeks labeled
Egyptian writing
hieroglyphics, meaning
“priest-carvings” or
“sacred writings”
• Egyptians believe that
hieroglyphs were
literally “the words of
god”
http://www.westga.edu/~llipoma/hieroglyphics.jpg
 Hieroglyphics
• Hieroglyphics is a
system of writing where
symbols represent
objects (such as tools,
animals or boats) and
ideas (such as motion,
time and joy)
• Used sacred characters
as picture signs that
depicted objects and had
sacred value at the
same time http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/planechic/hieroglyphics
 Hieroglyphics-
Characteristics and forms
• The Egyptian system of
hieroglyphics had
between 700 and 800
basic symbols- called
glyphs
• They wrote hieroglyphs
in long lines from right
to left, and from top to
bottom.
• They did not use any
spacing or punctuation
like we do in our writing

http://encarta.msn.com/media_461543263_761573079_-1_1/Tomb_of_Queen_Amonherkhepsef.html
 Hieroglyphics-
Characteristics and forms
• Egyptian glyphs are divided into two
groups:
– Phonograms: glyphs that represent sounds
– Ideograms: glyphs that represent objects or
ideas
• They constructed words by combining
the two types of glyphs
 Hieroglyphics-
Characteristics and forms

• Egyptians usually constructed hieroglyphs by putting

phonograms at the beginning of a word, followed by an
ideogram

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761573079/hieroglyphs.html
 Hieroglyphics-
Who was using them?
• The ancient
Egyptian word for
hieroglyphics literally
translated as
“language of the
gods”
• This explains how
significant there
writing was to them

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/images/heiroglyphicsimages/egypt150.gif
 Hieroglyphics-
Who was using them?
• Priests used
hieroglyphs to write
down prayers, magical
texts, and texts related
to life after death and
worshiping the gods
• Many people had
hieroglyphics written on
their tomb walls and
inside coffins
– Believed that texts
helped guide them to the
afterlife

http://www.templestudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/djedankhwas.jpg
 Hieroglyphics-
Who was using them?
• The Egyptians also
used hieroglyphics
to decorate jewelry
and other luxury
items
• They were
sometimes very
elaborate and
beautiful

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 How can we read
Hieroglyphs?
• After the fall of ancient Egypt
in around 30 BC, the
meaning of hieroglyphs
remained a mystery for over
1,800 years
• It was with the discovery of
the Rosetta Stone that we
were finally able to
understand the glyphs
– This stone contained the
decipher Egyptian
hieroglyphs same text
written in Egyptian
hieroglyphics and in Greek.
• This stone allowed scholars
to decipher the hieroglyphs
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16352/16352-h/images/p1.jpg
 Conclusion
• Hieroglyphics are a unique and beautiful part
of Egyptian civilization.
• Egyptian hieroglyphics played an integral role
and organizing and influencing the lives of
Egyptians and gave their lives meaning and
purpose.
• Through these glyphs Egyptians were able to
express themselves in ways humans have
never done before, which makes them
significant to the ancient Egyptians and to
people today who continue to express
themselves though written language.
 Work Cited
• Duiker, William J.. World History To 1500. 2nd.
Albany: West/Wadsworth, 1998.
• "Hieroglyphs," Microsoftｮ Encarta Online
Encyclopedia 2008http://encarta.msn.com ｩ
1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation