The Ancient Egyptians used a hieroglyphic writing system that still resonates today for its graphic representation of things, people, pharaohs and concepts. These hieroglyphics were discovered by adventurers and archeologists in temples, tombs and on papyrus documents, telling of the everyday life, religion and history of this 5,000-year-old civilization. Some of the symbols were simple but represented something with a wider significance, such as the eye of Horus; other logographs might represent an animal, such as a snake, elephant or lion; while others, such as the Ba symbol of a bird with a human head, represented the human soul with the ability to travel to the afterlife using wings. In Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics Illustrated, explore the logograms for popular concepts such as ‘sun’, ‘house’ and ‘mountain’, as well as more complex ideas such as Ajet, or ‘sun rising over mountains’; marvel at Tutankhamun’s full name as marked on his tomb, which is portrayed using a reed, a wave of water, a falcon, an ankh symbol, and a series of staffs; learn about the two outstretched arms of the Ka symbol, which represents the mortal life and soul of a person; and wonder at the Ouroboros, a symbol that shows a snake-like animal that swallows its own tail, representing eternal struggle. Each of more than 150 entries includes a description of the written form and an explanation of its meaning. Presented in a high-quality Chinese-bound format with accompanying illustrations, Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics Illustrated provides a compact, easy-to-understand introduction to the writing system of Ancient Egypt.
Trevor Naylor is a Yorkshire author and traveller who has spent all his career in the field of books. Publishing has taken him to over 90 countries but he regards Egypt as his second home, the place he has returned to live and work in for over 30 years. He has explored every corner of this fascinating and friendly country during that time and has written several books. He is the author of Cairo Inside Out (2017) Egypt Inside Out (2019) and Living Normally – Where Life Comes Before Style (2007) and is co-author of A Roving Eye- Head to Toe In Egyptian Arabic Expression (2016).
