TELEVISION

Decoding the Secrets of Egyptian Hieroglyphs

Series: Great Courses
4.5
(53)
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Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2016
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

Noted Egyptologist Bob Brier's Decoding the Secrets of Egyptian Hieroglyphs is the key to unlocking this ancient language. In 24 lectures, you'll cover the basics of reading and writing hieroglyphs, including vocabulary words, number systems, and sentence structure. You'll also translate hieroglyphs found on ancient sites and artifacts, such as the temples at Abu Simbel and the tomb of Tutankhamen.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1 to 3 of 24

1. Why Egypt Needed Hieroglyphs

30m

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Before learning how to read and write hieroglyphs, you have to understand why ancient Egypt had to invent some form of writing. Central to this introductory lecture is a study of the Narmer Palette, whose writing would set standards and conventions that would be followed for 3,000 years.

2. The Ancient Egyptian Alphabet

30m

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It's time to learn the hieroglyphic alphabet. Professor Brier shows you how to write each hieroglyph and how to position them, including a stylized hand ("D"), a horned viper ("F"), and two hieroglyphs for which English doesn't have a letter. Then, transcribe your name from English to ancient Egyptian.

3. How a Language Becomes Lost

30m

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How is it possible for a language used by the world's greatest civilization to become lost? The answer, you'll learn, involves charting the rise and fall of ancient Egypt's spectacular kingdoms, as well as investigating the ways Christianity replaced hieroglyphs with Greek letters.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Bob Brier, Ph. D.writer
The Great Coursesproducer
Bob Brier, Ph. D.actor