Full Description
heiroglyphs 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; used as monumental art, as a means of identifying Egyptianess, and for rarified communication with the gods. In this exciting new study, Penelope Wilson explores the cultural significance of the script with an emphasis on previously neglected areas such as cryptography, the continuing decipherment post-Champollion, and the powerful fascination hieroglyphs still hold for us today.
Contents
1. The origins of writing in Egypt; 2. Hieroglyphic script and the Egyptian language; 3. Hieroglyphs and art; 4. 'I Know You, I Know Your Names'; 5. Scribes and everyday writing; 6. The decipherment of Egyptian; 7. Hieroglyphs in the modern world; Notes; Chronology; Further Reading; Index
