Discovering Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Practical Guide (Paperback)

The point I would like to make clear is learning the basics of translation can seem quite daunting and intimidating but it is obviously possible. People fascinated by ancient Egypt teach themselves to read Hieroglyphs; some learn a little some learn a lot. Working your way through grammar and conjugating verbs is definitely challenging but feels rewarding once you get the hang of it. However, from experience, pulling it all together in a museum is where I found it all went out of the window. This little book is just the trick to help you. Working almost on a ‘need to know basis’ the key pieces of the jigsaw are brought together. In some respects, this book shouts the links that several other books fail to emphasise enough.

Chapters one and two cover the need to know material with a focus on ‘key phrases’ that you will see repeated. These sections are rather like a “Get by in Hieroglyphs” honing you for your big challenge of part 3. Biliteral signs, trilateral signs, ideograms, determinatives and other grammatical challenges are there, but only enough to help you to get to grips with the main themes.

Section three of the book is where it is all pulled together and twelve inscriptions are decoded. The twelve inscriptions are based on specimens primarily based in the Berlin, Munich and Cairo museums. The pieces to translate are; an Architrave of Sahure, a glazed tile from the Palace of Ramesses II at Qantir, Lintel from a Palace or Temple of Ramesses II, Fragment of a Tomb Wall, a Wooden Box from the Treasures of Tutankhamun, Tutankhamuns’s Alabaster Chest, The Alabaster Cup of Tutankhamun, a Conopic Coffin of Tutankhamun, The Canopic Chest of Tutankhamun, Vignette from the book of the Dead, The False Door of Khut-en-Ptah and The Tomb Stela of Tashep-Khonsu. Photographs and sketches of the inscriptions provide work pieces for the reader to translate. Full detailed explanations of the translations are given and with a bit of repetition the key phrases become anchored in your mind. For the enthusiast who is planning to visit these institutions they immediately have the satisfaction of encountering the artefact face to face and getting the buzz of reading the ancient words. The obvious downside to getting this maximum benefit is you need to travel if UK based like me.

I have certainly benefited from using the book and would recommend it to anyone who needs their confidence boosting by focusing on key phrases. This simple technique of focussing on and anchoring the keys in your mind helps you unlock the associated phrases surrounding them. For those of you, who gave up trying to learn because the book you were using did not suit you, try this one.

For those wishing to start from scratch I would strongly recommend Philip Ardagh’s ‘The Hieroglyphs Handbook-Teach yourself Ancient Egyptian.’ This book is aimed at the younger reader but teaches the basics and helps build your confidence.

A book on a similar theme to Karl-Theodor’s, but based on exhibits in the British Museum is ‘How to read Egyptian Hieroglyphs’ by Mark Collier and Bill Manley. For anyone based in the UK the obvious advantage is after working through the book you can go and read the inscriptions in a place a touch nearer to home. I would also recommend this book because it is comprehensive.