Learn to read hieroglyphs! If you have ever wondered what was written on ancient Egyptian tomb walls or in the Book of the Dead, this first semester of the Middle Egyptian language sequence (4 semesters of which fulfills the UM language requirement) introduces you to the language of the ancient Egyptians.

The focus of this course is the hieroglyphic writing system and the Middle Egyptian language, the classic form of the language of ancient Egypt. It was in common, everyday use in Egypt from about 2100-1600 BCE. After this time, Middle Egyptian continued to be used for literary and religious texts, as well as inscriptions on buildings and stone monuments, for nearly 2000 years. Much of the surviving textual material from ancient Egypt is written in Middle Egyptian.

Students will learn to read and understand the hieroglyphic signs, vocabulary, and grammar of ancient Middle Egyptian. Exercises draw on authentic biographical, historical, religious, and literary texts.

Intended Audience:

Open to both undergraduates and graduate students. Although this course is the first of a two-part sequence in Middle Egyptian, it can also be taken as a stand-alone class.

Class Format:

Three 60-minute meetings weekly