The word hieroglyph stems from two Greek words; hiero meaning holy and glyphs meaning writing. In 1799, the French Captain Pierre Bouchard discovered the Rosetta Stone, which had two languages on it.1 The stone was carved with the same text in two different languages, Greek and Egyptian, and in three different writing systems, which included hieroglyphic. With the finding of the Rosetta Stone, scholars were able to unlock the hieroglyphic code. Hieroglyphs were the earliest form of Egyptian formal writing that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. The writing was used from around 3200 BCE until about 395 CE. The writing incorporated between 700 and 800 symbols in it, and not every Egyptian was able to read or write it.2
The supplies used to write hieroglyphics were quite similar to the supplies that we use to write today. The Egyptians wrote hieroglyphs on papyrus reed. Papyrus reeds were water or marsh plants with tall straight hollow stems that were flatten, dried, and stuck together to make pages. They utilized a pen and ink to write on the fine papyrus paper. The pens that they used were thin sharp reeds that they dipped in ink. The ink that they used came from crushed plants that they mixed with water. The hieroglyphic system was written in long lines, usually from right to left or top to bottom. The direction in which it was read relied on which way the human or animal figures were facing. The direction in which they were facing indicated the beginning of the line.3 No spacing or punctuation were used. It was divided into two main groupings of writing; phonograms, and ideograms with incorporated determinatives into it. The phonograms were the glyphs that represented sound in the writings and represented single constants and combinations of constants. The ideograms represented objects and ideas that they were trying to convey. They either represented the actual object written or something that was closely related, such as legs for movement. The writing also utilized determinatives. Determinatives were hieroglyphs that were not spoken or translated but helped make the meaning of the word clearer. Determinatives were also used at the end of words to indicate the end of a word, as the Egyptians did not place spaces between words or sentences. Some symbols utilized within the writing could represent an entire sentence or saying. The Egyptian writing did not utilize the use of vowels, so it is impossible to understand exactly how they pronounced hieroglyphic texts.
The Egyptians would use their hieroglyphic writing on a variety of locations and documents. They would use the writing in schools, on tombs, and on temple walls. As most Egyptians could not read or write, only the privileged class, such as royals, nobles, and priests, along with scribes could read or write hieroglyphs. Scribes were Egyptians that went to a special school and were trained to write and read the writings. Egyptian priests also used hieroglyphics to pen prayers, prepare tomb stone surfaces, and for guides of the afterlife placed on the inside of their deceased coffins. Many Egyptians believed that writing hieroglyphics on their tombs and in their coffins would help lead the dead to the afterlife.4
Civil officials would utilize the writing to write royal documents of long-term importance, record historical events, and document important calculations. An example of an important calculation that the Egyptians would record using the writing would be the depth of the Nile River on specific days of the year. Lastly, they carved hieroglyphic symbols on their jewelry to decorate it and other luxury items that they posed.
In conclusion, deciphering the Egyptians hieroglyphics has provided much important information about the way of life in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians felt it was important to document and communicate important facts about their religion, government, and daily lives. By utilizing hieroglyphic writing, the Egyptians were able to preserve their history, ideas, and beliefs, and help us see how they lived.
- Ancient History Encyclopedia, July 2015, s.v. “Egyptian Hieroglyphs,” by Priscilla Scoville. ↵
- Ancient History Encyclopedia, July 2015, s.v. “Egyptian Hieroglyphs,” by Priscilla Scoville. ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, November 2015, s.v. “Hieroglyphic Writing,” by Peter F. Dorman and Hellmut Brunner. ↵
- Encyclopedia Britannica, November 2015, s.v. “Hieroglyphic Writing,” by Peter F. Dorman and Hellmut Brunner. ↵
33 comments
Natalia Flores
I didn’t know that hieroglyphs stood for the Holy language in Greek. It makes sense that the language was not written or read by all Egyptians since, at the time and even now, only certain classes of people are able to read and write. The complexity of the language is extensive and incredible, especially how to read it. The way its read depends on which direction the animal or human is facing and can be read right to left or top to bottom.
Alexandra Cantu
This was a great article. I really loved reading about how the hieroglyphs were written down and the making of the paper and pens were included in the article. It shows that how they were written and just how much time was put into this documentation and language. Its incredible that it was such an tough language that we were finally able to decode the history of the Egyptians. Such a fascinating article.
Hector Garcia
Throughout the whole, I found the attention to detail incredible. I had always had respect for the archeologists who able to read these dead languages that have been forgotten by many. It was interesting to see how the Egyptians used hieroglyphics in their everyday lives. By far, the best part of the whole article was the introduction, where the author defined hieroglyphics as “holy writing”.
Kimberly Simmons
Hieroglyphs represent a large part of Egyptian history. Not only was their creation one of the first introductions to writing, but it is an essential key in understanding the culture of that time. It was so interesting to read of the significance that these symbols had within this society, as well as how they were incorporated into their everyday life. A very well-written article, and very informative!
Michael Thomas
I found this article interesting because of how it describes the Egyptian hieroglyphics purpose. It is amazing how the Egyptian’s were able to put together a form of writing that uses images to describe the religion, person, and the life of that time. Although this form of writing was useful, only a certain amount of people were able to read and write the hieroglyphics. Overall, this article was good.
Natalie Childs
This was a great article. I really liked that how the hieroglyphs were written down and the making of the paper and pens were included in the article. Also, the description of how they were written and subsequently read really shows just how much time was put into this documentation and language. Its incredible that it was such an intricate language that not until the rosetta stone was found that we were finally able to better decode the history of the Egyptians.
Samuel Ruiz
I came into reading this article with some prior knowledge of hieroglyphics, but I definitely finished reading with more detailed information about them. I remember hearing about the Rosetta Stone in class but I honestly never really payed attention to the details. This article described the functions and works of the lines and images that created written words really well.
Oceane Roux
Thank you for this article! I didn’t know much about hieroglyphs before reading this article, and I found it really fascinating! I think Egypt is one of the most mysterious people in the world. I think it is very interesting that they didn’t use vowels and spaces between words even if it means that we will never be able to know how the words are supposed to be pronounced.
Auroara-Juhl Nikkels
I think its interestering that we were unable to figure out what the Egyptians were saying until we found the Rosetta Stone and how lucky I find we are that we discovered it at all. I think of an entire language taht might have been lost becasue we simply had no way to understand it. It makes me wonder hhow many other languages have been lost becasue people simply forgot what symbols meant or nobody passed the knowledge down.
Gabriela Medrano
The style of your writing helped break-down the complexity of hieroglyphics. You described the art, the materials used, alphabet and grammar, and especially the use and significance it had on Greeks and Egyptians. I think the topic is an important one for linguistics and translators who, like you said, got an understanding of the lifestyle these people lead and their values and belief system, even if deciphering the writing seemed to be a bit difficult. Great article and interesting topic!