Egyptian scribes in Focus This Enrichment4You E-guide focuses on the Egyptian Scribes. In this e-guide you will: *Read about Egyptian Scribes *Write about an Egyptian Scribes *Make Faux Papyrus & Write Hieroglyphics ENRICHMENT4YOU Published by Henrich Incorporated Original Copyright 2006 Revised 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without first obtaining the written permission of the copyright owner.
ABOUT THIS ENRICHMENT GUIDE This enrichment guide is designed to give you a short, but interesting journey into the life of a scribe in Ancient Egypt. This e-guide is divided into five fun sections for you to explore: 1. Overview of ancient Egyptian scribes - Pages 1-3. 2. Character Development Statements - Page 4-6. 3. Additional Details for Characterization - Pages 7-9. 4. Scribe Writing Recipe - Page 10. 5. Write like a scribe: Make faux papyrus - Pages 11-13 Paint hieroglyphics Symbols - Pages 14-17
Scribes in ancient Egypt held one of the most important roles in society. Since few Egyptians could read or write, scribes provided a much needed service. They performed the clerical tasks assigned to them by government officials or the priest caste. They were also employed by the general population of Egyptians to record such things as marriages and property agreements. A young man (or rarely a young girl) from a wealthy or royal family who desired to become a scribe would need to learn the many different hieroglyphic symbols that were a part of the Egyptian language. There were more than 700 signs that represented both ideas, objects and sounds. These young men would attend a special school for many years to learn how to read and write hieroglyphics. Young scribes would practice on pieces of broken terra-cotta clay or ostraca-flat stones. Besides learning how to write hieroglyphic symbols, the young boys learned mathematics since they would have to record figures and facts in their future occupations. After many years of hard work, a scribe could look forward to a relatively easy life, free from manual labor. There are many pictures and statues featuring scribes sitting in linen kilts with papyrus rolls and reed pens placed in their laps as they sat crossed legged. Scribes were responsible for many different types of record keeping. They wrote letters, recorded harvest and maintained the accounts for the military. Within the scribe profession were a group of elite scribes called scholarly scribes. These scribes were equal to priests, engineers and doctors. Since most Egyptians had to survive by manual labor, scribes were easy to recognize by their callus free hands and the wooden palettes and rolls of papyrus they would carry. Writing palettes were similar to contemporary painting pallets in that they served as a writing surface. The surface had a slot to hold the reed pens and brushes used by the scribes. Records were written in either black or red ink. 1
Papyrus was the main writing surface employed by scribes to record the important events of Egyptian society. The papyrus plant is called Cyperus papyrus. The process to make papyrus began with cutting the outer rind off and then cutting long thin slices from the inner white pith of the tall hollow papyrus reed stalks that grew in the marshy areas along the Nile River. After the strips were cut, they were laid out in a crisscross pattern to form a mat. The surface of the strips was pounded with a mallet releasing the sticky sap from inside the pith. The mat was then left to dry under a heavy weight until the plant s juices had completely dried. Once dried the papyrus sheet could be rolled and bent and yet still retain its shape without shrinkage. Prior to writing, the sheet was burnished with a piece of smooth wood or ivory. The following is the sequence in which papyrus writing paper was made: 1. The papyrus stalks were gathered from the Nile River Banks. 2. The green skin that covers the outer stalk area were removed to reveal the inner pith. The pith was cut into long thin strips and pounded with a mallet to break down the fibers inside the stalk. 3. For three days the strips were soaked in water until the pith strips become clear and bendable. 4. The softened strips were overlapped onto a piece of fabric with one layer going horizontally and the other vertically. 5. The strips were then laid between two layers of absorbent pieces which were stacked and placed into a press where they are squeezed and left in the hot sun to dry. 6. Every 8 hours or so the absorbent barriers that were placed in the press were removed and replaced with new ones. 7. In approximately 3-4 days the sheets of papyrus were dry. 2
Writing and reading is a process of taking a word, idea or sound and creating a symbol to represent its desired concept. In ancient Egypt, words, ideas or sounds were represented by more than 700 hieroglyphic symbols. For example, the symbol for Ankh represented eternal life. It also symbolized The Breath of Life. Many symbols were associated with various gods such as the round eye of Horus called Udjat. The Udjat represented healing and protection. Egyptian symbols or hieroglyphics are similar to the contemporary rebus stories where a picture represents the concept. What many do not realize there were three forms of writing in Egypt. Hieroglyphic, hieratic and demotic. These three scripts were utilized for different purposes. Hieroglyphic was the earliest script used in Egypt and was used for formal inscriptions only. It was usually written on stone, ivory or pottery. Hieroglyphics only used consonants. Hieratic script was adapted from hieroglyphic script to provide a quicker method for recording information on things that were not monuments. Hieratic script was used for business and administrative purposes or to record medical and scientific information. It was usually written in black ink with a reed brush. Demotic script did not use symbols, but rather, appeared to be more of a cursive form of writing. This form of writing was used for business purposes. It was usually written from left to right and vertically. 3
Sometimes it is just plain difficult to start writing. The following collection of statements can be mixed and matched to develop a writing recipe. We have created a sample writing recipe for you to try on page 10. Try this recipe first. When you are ready, follow the directions below to develop your own special description. DIRECTIONS: Pick any 10 statements from the following list to create a paragraph about a Greek athlete. Use the Additional Details for Characterization on pages 7-9 to help you write about your character. INTRODUCING YOUR CHARACTER 1. Write one or more sentences introducing your character by name and occupation 2. Write one or more sentences describing your character s home - type of dwelling. DESCRIPTION OF A CHARACTER S FACE 3. Write one or more sentences describing your character s head shape. 4. Write one or more sentences describing your character s eyes. Include: color, shape, and eyebrows. 5. Write one or more sentences describing your character s nose. Include: size and shape. 6. Write one or more sentences describing your character s ears. Include: size and shape. 7. Write one or more sentences describing your character s mouth. Include: size, shape, and color. 8. Write one or more sentences describing your character s hair. Include: color, cleanliness, length, and any facial hair such as a beard or moustache. 9. Write one or more sentences describing your character s teeth. 10. Write one or more sentences describing your character s skin. Include: color and texture. 4