You certainly don't need to know how to read hieroglyphics to enjoy these memes. Yet, if you were to learn hieroglyphics, you'd have to learn 700 symbols! Although among the symbols are pictures of birds, shapes, and even body parts, the pictures don't mean the things they are depicting. In other words, it's not picture writing.
In the 1820s, scientists were able to decode Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics with the help of the Rosetta Stone. It's a historical artifact that contains a decree from 196 BC written in hieroglyphics, the Ancient Greek, and Egyptian demotic alphabets. Since researchers were already able to read Ancient Greek, they soon deciphered both Egyptian scripts.
Originally, hieroglyphics adorned the tombs of rich and important people. As professor emeritus at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, Peter F. Dorman explains, "The earliest hieroglyphic writing is commonly found on grave goods found in royal tombs at Abydos that precede the historical period."
"Since hieroglyphs are pictorial, the link with early formal art is indelible, especially the representation of the king with his royal titulary, which can be seen on commemorative monuments placed in the earliest temples," he told History.
However, hieroglyphics weren't the only alphabet that Ancient Egyptians used. People in Ancient Egypt also wrote on papyrus, and they used a pen or a brush, since it was a more fragile material. The demotic alphabet, the third one on the Rosetta Stone, was developed in the 800s B.C. Ancient Egyptians used it for composing everyday documents and writing books and poems.
Interestingly, not every Egyptian in Ancient Egypt could read hieroglyphics. As James P. Allen claims in his book Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, only priests were able to read them. "Inscriptions that were meant to have a larger audience were carved in Demotic instead," he notes.
Naturally then, hieroglyphic writing was phased out over time. After the Ptolemies began ruling Egypt in 300 B.C., the main language in Ancient Egypt became Ancient Greek. 600 years later, a Roman emperor banned pagan religious practice in Egypt, effectively ensuring that Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics wouldn't be used anywhere. Egyptologists claim that the last hieroglyphics that were carved into a statue might've been a mystery to the sculptor who had to do it.
What do you think is the coolest thing about Egypt, Pandas? Have you ever wanted to be an Egyptologist after you've seen the movie The Mummy? I'll be honest – I really thought I would grow up to be like Rachel Weisz's character. Let us know your favorite things about ancient Egypt in the comments. And be sure to check out some comics about Ancient Egypt from Tut Comics right here!
