I would like to research Language and writing. I would like to find out what the Rosetta Stone was written in. I saw the Rosetta Stone at a museum actually. I also would like to compare Hieroglyphs with our writing. I would also like to look at their education and their different types of writing. I will present it to you by a Power Point and I will work on it for one day.

Goal

Language and Writing

By Rachel

Hieroglyphs

The Ancient Egyptian form of writing is called hieroglyphics. Egyptians wrote on a piece of papyrus paper. Papyrus looks like the paper underneath the hieroglyphics in this picture. It is sort of rough and bumpy.

This is our type of writing. You can see it is really different from hieroglyphs. Our type writing is way more simpler. You can see that our letters are just curves and lines, but theirs are pictures of birds, and lions and ropes. I think if they wrote with our alphabet they would say “why didn’t we think of this?” But if we used theirs we would go crazy!!

Our Alphabet

The Rosetta stone was the key to deciphering hieroglyphs, because it was written in a language that they understood. It was written in two languages, but in three different types, ancient Greek, and two ancient egyptian, Demotic and Hieroglyphs. The Rosetta stone is 3 feet 9 inches long and 2 feet 41/2 inches wide. The inscription begins with praise of Ptolemy, and then includes the good deeds done by the king for the temples.

The Rosetta Stone

There are three different types of writing. They are hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Hieratic.

Hieratic and Demotic writing was used to write formal letters and to prepare important documents. They were also much easier to do.

Hieroglyphics were used to mark temples, decorate pottery and stone carvings. The word hieroglyphics actually comes from the Greek word “sacred carving”.

After time the writing became less detailed.

Different types of writing

There was over 700 letters in the alphabet. Most of them stood for a whole word or maybe they stood for two or three letters at one time though. But the thing is that most people couldn’t read or write, even though from the ages four to fourteen girls and boys went to school together, but very few children went to school either. They would learn hieratic script first. They would write on pieces of pottery or limestone. Students wrote with reed pens with red or black ink.

At school they would study math and foreign languages. They even had sports and exercises like we do. Professional scribes kept track and wrote legal documents and letters. The scribes used pens and brushes both made from reeds. The students texts were about architecture, trade, medical matters, law, and much more.

Education

I didn’t like doing language and writing. It was hard and not that fun to do. But l was interested in learning that there are three types of writing, not just one. I also thought that over 700 letters was a lot to learn for kids. I like doing the self study, as I said in my last one, and I wish we will do it again. I am proud that I finished before spring break and I am very happy with my work.

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