JAL328H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Khopesh, Egyptian Language, Narmer Palette
24/01/19
Lecture 3: Egyptian
-only Egyptian used hieroglyphics
-separate language family under Afro-Asiatic
-descendant = Coptic
-Dynastic Egypt: pyramids + writing
-archaic Egyptian (don’t have enough evidence to analyze) — Old Egyptian (first
continuous texts) — Middle Egyptian (continued as standard literary language) — Late
Egyptian — Demotic (distinct script; from cursive hieroglyphics) — Coptic (adapted
from Greek script; Church)
Early Egyptian Writing
-earliest = tomb in Abydod (3200 BCE)
-objects inside with inscriptions
-pottery jars and clay tags
-symbols found (old and new) — for a king/important figure, not common folk
Tags
-40 types of tags that are known; 50 types of glyphs
-drawn onto larger grids that are cut, painted black, and drilled with holes
-attached to grave goods
-numerals
-2 glyphs
Narmer Palette
-slate palette — King Narmer
-one of the oldest appearances of hieroglyphics (3100 BCE)
-unified Upper and Lower Egypt
-Narmer’s name = written a lot on the tablet
-carvings of a ritual ceremony
Origins
-Cuneiform region may have had economic connections with Egyptians
-Cuneiform (pictographic -> abstract) but Egyptians stayed pictographic (concrete objects)
-most likely stimulus diffusion: Egyptians borrowed the idea of writing from Sumerians/
Mesopotamia to create their own writing system
-first full sentences found soon after earliest inscriptions
-clay tokens
-cultural influences from Mesopotamia in the form of architectural style & decorative patterns,
cylinder seals in tombs, representation of Priest-King with status symbols
-most likely Cuneiform first
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Document Summary
Archaic egyptian (don"t have enough evidence to analyze) old egyptian (first continuous texts) middle egyptian (continued as standard literary language) late. Egyptian demotic (distinct script; from cursive hieroglyphics) coptic (adapted from greek script; church) Earliest = tomb in abydod (3200 bce) Symbols found (old and new) for a king/important figure, not common folk. 40 types of tags that are known; 50 types of glyphs. Drawn onto larger grids that are cut, painted black, and drilled with holes. One of the oldest appearances of hieroglyphics (3100 bce) Narmer"s name = written a lot on the tablet. Cuneiform region may have had economic connections with egyptians. Cuneiform (pictographic -> abstract) but egyptians stayed pictographic (concrete objects) Most likely stimulus diffusion: egyptians borrowed the idea of writing from sumerians/ First full sentences found soon after earliest inscriptions. Cultural influences from mesopotamia in the form of architectural style & decorative patterns, cylinder seals in tombs, representation of priest-king with status symbols.
