Hieroglyphs or pictograms are a type of writing that is one of the oldest on earth. We can say that this is a specific written sign that is used in some writing systems. Almost all of them have their own designation, and many have several translations or meanings. This type of writing was and is used in some countries, cities, or among some peoples.
It is necessary
- - various scientific literature on decryption
- - certain knowledge in the field of translation
- - study the ancient language you need
Instructions
Step 1
In ancient times in Korea, Vietnam or Japan, pictograms were the only written language for people. Also, the Mayan peoples used hieroglyphs, on the island of Crete there was a writing under the same definition. And, of course, we must not forget Ancient Egypt.
Step 2
Egyptian writing arose at the end of the fourth millennium BC on the basis of drawing. In such a letter, each word or concept was expressed in a picture. For example, "captivity" was depicted as people with their hands tied. Such signs were called hieroglyphs, and the writing system itself was called hieroglyphics. The ancient Egyptians believed that writing was given to them by the god of wisdom Thoth. Themselves letters they called "Mdue ntr" - "Words of God" and believed in their magical protective power. Hieroglyphs could be painted on the walls of temples, tombs, steles and obelisks, statues, sarcophagi, clay shards and papyrus scrolls.
Step 3
It takes a lot of time to learn how to read and decipher hieroglyphs correctly. To begin with, you can learn the names of several kings and queens, memorizing the hieroglyphs themselves, that is, their spelling. The names are easy to find, they were always written in an oval frame - a cartouche designed to protect the royal name and the pharaoh himself from evil forces. Hieroglyphs are read from left to right, right to left, or top to bottom. To determine where to start reading, you need to find symbols such as birds or people. They always point to the beginning of a sentence.
Step 4
To read or translate ancient hieroglyphs, you will not only need books on deciphering letters, but you will also have to study the history of a particular state, the rise and fall of civilization. You also need to have an idea of where to start the translation, how to properly divide the hieroglyphs into separate characters. Splitting the text into signs is usually used when decrypting Mayan letters. And this is not an easy task. It is necessary to correctly separate the hieroglyphs, put them in the right order, and then only translate them.
Step 5
It is much easier to decipher modern Chinese and Japanese characters. There is a lot of useful and necessary information in libraries, bookstores, the Internet. For example, dictionaries or language tutorials. You can sign up for courses, classes in these languages.
