Hieroglyphs without mystery : an introduction to ancient Egyptian writing
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Hieroglyphs without mystery : an introduction to ancient Egyptian writing
University of Texas Press, c1992
- : pbk
- Other Title
-
Hieroglyphen ohne Geheimnis
Available at 3 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Translation of: Hieroglyphen ohne Geheimnis. Mainz : P. von Zabern, c1980
Includes bibliographical references
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Marveling over the tomb treasures of Ramses II and Tutankhamen that have toured U.S. and European museums in recent years, visitors inevitably wonder what the mysterious hieroglyphs that cover their surfaces mean. Indeed, everyone who is fascinated by ancient Egypt sooner or later wishes for a Rosetta stone to unlock the secrets of hieroglyphic writing.
Hieroglyphs without Mystery provides the needed key. Written for ordinary people with no special language skills, the book quickly demonstrates that hieroglyphic writing can be read, once a few simple principles are understood. Zauzich explains the basic rules of the writing system and the grammar and then applies them to thirteen actual inscriptions taken from objects in European and Egyptian museums. By following his explanations and learning the most commonly used glyphs, readers can begin to decode hieroglyphs themselves and increase their enjoyment of both museum objects and ancient Egyptian sites.
Even for the armchair traveler, learning about hieroglyphs opens a sealed door into ancient Egyptian culture. In examining these inscriptions, readers will gain a better understanding of Egyptian art, politics, and religion, as well as language.
This book was originally published in Germany in 1980 as Hieroglyphen ohne Geheimnis.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Translator's Preface
1. Generalities
1.1. Not for Geniuses Only
1.2. Beauty as a Rule for Spelling
1.3. Pictures but Not Picture Writing
1.4. How Egyptologists Speak Egyptian
1.5. What Is Transliteration?
2. The Writing System
2.1. The Egyptian Alphabet
2.2. Biliteral Signs
2.3. The Phonetic Complement
2.4. Triliteral Signs
2.5. Ideograms (Sense-Signs)
2.6. Determinatives
2.7. Graphic Peculiarities and Abbreviations
2.8. Complication and Simplification
2.9. A Little Grammar
2.9.1. Grammatical Gender
2.9.2. The Plural and the Dual
2.9.3. Genitive Constructions
2.9.4. Suffix Pronouns
2.9.5. Adjectives
3. Examples
3.1. An Architrave of Sahure
3.2. A Glazed Tile from the Palace of Ramesses II at Qantir
3.3. Lintel from a Temple or Palace of Ramesses II
3.4. Fragment of a Tomb Wall
3.5. A Wooden Box from the Treasures of Tutankhamun
3.6. Tutankhamun's Alabaster Chest
3.7. The Alabaster Cup of Tutankhamun
3.8. A Canopic Coffin of Tutankhamun
3.9. The Canopic Chest of Tutankhamun
3.10. Vignette from a Book of the Dead
3.11. The False Door of Khut-en-Ptah
3.12. The Tomb Stela of Tashep-Khonsu
3.13. The Hieroglyphs on the Cover: A Temple Inscription
4. Conclusion
4.1. Selected Royal Names
4.2. Names of Gods
4.3. Further Study of Hieroglyphs
5. Appendixes
5.1. Solutions to the Problems
5.2. Books on Egyptian Vocabulary and Grammar
5.3. Hieroglyphic Sign List
5.4. Museum Numbers and Photo Credits for the Objects Discussed
by "Nielsen BookData"