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Translation of Hieroglyphics


The ancient Egyptian civilization, it is said, is one of the most evolved civilizations in the world. Be it art, architecture, culture, language and script. The ancient Egyptian script is called Hieroglyphics.

It literally means holy writing or god's words. It can be divided into two,' hieros' which means sacred and glypho which means inscriptions. The ancient Egyptians attributed the invention of writing to a god called Thoth.

It is an intricate system of symbols each of which can have more than one or two meanings. Every symbol portrays an object, sound, action or idea.

Therefore, it is more than a rigid mode of writing a language; it is like a language in itself, one that its readers can interpret in numerous ways. The writing itself needs accuracy and skill. Hence, translating it would be definitely more difficult than most.

The Rosetta stone, although a very old piece of Ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele, was found by the French in 1799 during a campaign and was the very first ancient text in three languages to be found during that period. Even though the whole tablet was not found, it was a key to deciphering the Hieroglyphs.

The script which was until now, unintelligible and had stumped historians worldwide. Finally, a key to translating Egyptian text was found. This led to further knowledge about Ancient Egyptians and an even more excellent way to learn about their culture, traditions, customs, history, kings and the extent of the kingdom.

The Rosetta Stone itself had information on the royal family, Ptolemy, that ruled Egypt around 196 B.C. This piece of stone also connected their lineage to a general in Alexander the Great's army, and also that Cleopatra was a descendant of the same family.

Thus, this broken piece of history helped modern historians make connections between two greatest civilizations of the world and also construct it chronologically.

It was discovered that the Rosetta Stone contained affirmations in hieroglyphics quotes regarding the legitimacy of a ruling family around 196 B.C. The Ptolemy family, of Macedonian descent, had ruled Egypt since the days of Alexander the Great; when one of his generals was appointed to the throne.

Cleopatra was descended from this same family; many generations later. The Greek translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics allowed modern scholars to begin piecing together an understanding of the history of hieroglyphics.Hieroglyphs were used primarily for inscriptions on tombs and temples. Some was intricate while others a little rough.

This script was deciphered by Jean Francois Champollion in the first half of the 19th century. Before this, there was no awareness of the translation of the Hieroglyphic script at all.

Emperor Theodius I was responsible for the closing down of all pagan temples in 4th century AD which began the downfall and eventual extinction of this script until it was translated by Jean Francois Champollion.

To read this script, one must follow the direction that the first symbol in the text is in. It is not the same every time and can be from left to right, right to left or top to bottom. You can even figure out if the text pertains to the subjects or the ruler by the presence or absence of a cartouche.




Money & Coins Recreation Part 1 Trading of Goods
Famous Monuments Recreation Part 2 Translation Of Hieroglyphics
Mummies / Mummification Religion Part 1 Transportation System
Music in Ancient Egypt Religion Part 2 Viziers Ranking
Musical Instruments Religious Beliefs Famous Wars Fought
Myths Part 1: Creation, Eye of Ra Sarcophagus Weaponry & Chain of Command
Myths Part 2: Death Children's Schools Common Weapons Used in War
Names and Meanings Science and Technology Women's Life Part 1
Numbering System Role of Scribes Women's Life Part 2
Obelisks Designs Life of Slaves & Slavery Status of Women
Paintings Style, Colours Social Classes in Ancient Egypt British Museum and Ancient Egypt
Papyrus Invention Soldiers in the Army Burial Tombs In Ancient Egypt
Pharaohs Dynasties Sphinxes - majestic monuments Concept of Afterlife
Pottery Designs Common Sports Played Farming In Ancient Egypt
Priests' Role Famous Statues Common Food and Drink
Process Of Embalming Symbols and Meanings King Tutankhamun of Egypt
Famous Proverbs Tattoos and Designs Sun God: Ra
Queens Part 1: Cleopatra Technology Advancements The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt
Queens Part 2: Other Queens Temples' Significance Valley of The Kings
Popular Quotes Commonly used Tools Pictures/Photos

This page last updated in Jan 2014
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