Hieroglyphs

The Ancients

History Hit

History

4.7 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

From twisted flax to one-legged ibises, Egyptian hieroglyphs offer a window into the heart of ancient Egypt. But how did this script really work?

In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes speaks with Egyptologist Hugo Cook to decode the symbols that adorned temples, tombs, and papyrus scrolls found up and down the Nile. Together they uncover how hieroglyphs recorded everything from poetry to peace treaties, the meanings behind their intricate designs, and why the ancient Egyptians believed they held power beyond words.

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Tristan Hughes, and if you would like the ancient ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit.
0:08.1	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including my recent documentary all about Petra and the Nabatans, and enjoy a new release every week.
0:19.3	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe.
0:25.9	The train is now approaching.
0:28.3	Junction at platform.
0:30.3	Passengers.
0:31.5	Airport, please stay on board.
0:33.4	Next stop, road station.
0:36.0	iOS helps you control which apps you share your exact location with.
0:40.0	There's more to iPhone. It's The Ancients on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes, your host.
1:05.3	Today we're exploring the story of arguably the most captivating script from antiquity,
1:10.6	the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt.
1:13.4	When you visit Egypt today, or see Egyptian archaeology in museums, hieroglyphs are usually
1:18.6	never far away. These pictorial symbols adorn to the walls of temples, tombs and towering
1:24.4	obelisks. They were written down on papyrus and were used to record everything
1:28.6	from transactions to poetry to official peace treaties. So how did hieroglyphs actually work? What did
1:36.2	each symbol mean and how many were there? Did the Egyptians believe these symbols had
1:41.2	magical properties and for how long was this script useful?
1:45.2	Well, to answer all of this and much more, I was delighted to interview the Egyptologist Hugo
1:50.4	Cook. Hugo teaches a course on hieroglyphs at the British Museum, he is an expert in ancient
1:56.0	Egyptian texts, and his passion for the subject, well, it's undeniable. It was great to interview Hugo all
2:02.5	about hieroglyphs and how these symbols have become one of the greatest gateways into ancient
	...

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