Treasures of the Pharaohs: discovering hieroglyphs

ArkeoTopia offers to children the possibility to be in the shoes of a philologist for a day, by discovering in a playful way the work of ancient Egyptian scribes and that of the scientists who translate them

In the time of the Pharaohs
Learn about hieroglyphics
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	Discover the hieroglyphs and do like the seated scribe of the Louvre Museum
	When the scribe craftsman builds his message…
	the philologist, as a scientist, studies the signs that allow him to understand the messages that have survived the passing of time. © Gransard-Desmond – ArkéoTopia, 2013

In the time of the Pharaohs
Discovering what is philology

Introduction to the workshop

Where is Egypt located in time and space? Who is the French researcher who deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphs? What is the work of a philologist? How to succeed in writing one’s first name in hieroglyphics using the whole space on the sheet? What is the difference between the work of a craftsman and that of a scientist?

These are some of the questions that children explore through simple and fun games in which they use their little gray cells to discover the approach of the philological researcher.

In order to fully grasp the difficulty of the philologist’s work and understand the way of thinking of the ancient Egyptians, the children learn to write their first name in hieroglyphics and discover the linguistic evolution between the Middle-Egyptian and the new ones of the Lower Period. Depending on the time dedicated to this discovery and their age, other activities related to archaeology can be added in the workshop such the discovery of the scribes’ tools or the investigation of the making of papyrus.

The Skills Implemented
during this Workshop

• Knowledge
  • Egyptian civilization for beginners and false beginners
  • Learn about hieroglyphics writing (signs, tool, and use of space)
  • Discover a scientific discipline: philology
  • Understand the difference between science and craft
• Know-how (Methods)
  • Identify the Egyptian hieroglyphics signs
  • Write one’s own first name in hieroglyphics (use of signs and management of space)
  • Know how to team-up in pairs and get a result
  • Present your results in front of a group
• Soft skills (Behaviors)
  • Accept the partner with its rich qualities, but also with its limits
  • Follow instructions, being committed, respecting others’ hypotheses

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