A fascinating, easy-to-read yet highly informative introduction to hieroglyphs suitable for all novice Egyptologists. Angela McDonald makes learning the language of the pharaohs fun.--Joyce Tyldesley, author of Egypt

With the help of Egyptologists Collier and Manley, museum-goers, tourists, and armchair travelers alike can gain a basic knowledge of the language and culture of ancient Egypt. Each chapter introduces a new aspect of hieroglyphic script and encourages acquisition of reading skills with practical exercises. 200 illustrations.

Decoding Egyptian Hieroglyphs interweaves a clear guide to deciphering this elegant, largely picture language with vivid depictions of its origins and the people themselves.

Discover the secrets of hieroglyphs, the language of the ancient Egyptians, with this innovative kit from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Learn the sounds and letters of the hieroglyphic alphabet, find out which symbols were thought to have magical powers, and read how this mysterious language was decoded after hundreds of years. Then, with the alphabet chart as your guide, use the 24 hieroglyphic stamps and ink pad to write messages, create designs, and make cards.

François Neveu’s seminal work, here available in English for the first time, enables the reader to explore the Ramesside age through an understanding of Late Egyptian. This phase corresponds to the language spoken from the 17th to the 24th dynasty, which became a written language – used for private letters, administrative, legal and literary texts, as well as some official inscriptions – during the Amarna period (circa 1364 BC). The first part of the book covers the basics of the grammar and morphology, while the second part is devoted to the syntax, covering first the verbal system and then the nominal forms. In addition there are two appendices, one devoted to interrogative constructions and another to syllabic writing. The book incorporates the most recent work on the subject and the clarity with which Neveu presents linguistic and grammatical points, and the hundreds of examples used to illustrate the grammatical presentation, makes this the ideal tool for anyone interested in learning Late Egyptian grammar in order to read and understand texts from this period. The texts also introduce the reader to the daily life of the Deir el-Medina workers, the social movements that shook the community, the conspiracies at court, the embezzlement of some priests and other prominent community figures, major historical events, as well as the stories and novels studied and read by the society of the time.

Hieroglyphs were far more than a language. They were an omnipresent and all-powerful force in communicating the messages of ancient Egyptian culture for over three thousand years. In this exciting new study, Penelope Wilson explores the cultural significance of hieroglyphs with an emphasis on previously neglected areas such as cryptography and the continuing deciphering of the script in modern times.

The Rosetta Stone is one of the most popular artefacts in the British Museum. Containing a decree written in Greek, Demotic and hieroglyphics, it proved to be the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. This concise study traces the history of `the most famous piece of rock in the world' to become a modern icon and tells the story of the race to use it to decipher Egypt's ancient script by Jean-François Champollion and Thomas Young. Also includes a translation of the text.