The Ankh, the Djed and other Ancient Egyptian Symbols and their Meanings

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Video

Kelly Macquire
by Ancient History Encyclopedia
published on 30 November 2020

Ancient Egyptian Symbols were prolific throughout the region, as a way to convey information to the primarily illiterate society. Symbols such as the Ankh, the Djed, the Wes Sceptre, the Winged Solar Disk and many more were instantly recognisable in Ancient Egyptian society, and had an important function in Ancient Egyptian Religion. Although the ruling class, scribes, and wealthy citizens of Ancient Egypt would have had literacy skills, Egypt was largely an illiterate society with potentially only 1% of the population being literate

Ancient Egypt was a literate culture, with the earliest examples of writing surviving from the Pre-Dynastic Period which dates between c. 6000 BCE — c. 3150 BCE. Egyptian literature includes inscriptions, myths and stories, religious writings, hymns, poetry, letters, and court records — just to name a few — and some of these works are often depicted through art which conveys the message through symbols.

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Cite This Work

APA Style

Encyclopedia, A. H. (2020, November 30). The Ankh, the Djed and other Ancient Egyptian Symbols and their Meanings. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2201/the-ankh-the-djed-and-other-ancient-egyptian-symbo/

Chicago Style

Encyclopedia, Ancient History. "The Ankh, the Djed and other Ancient Egyptian Symbols and their Meanings." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified November 30, 2020. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2201/the-ankh-the-djed-and-other-ancient-egyptian-symbo/.

MLA Style

Encyclopedia, Ancient History. "The Ankh, the Djed and other Ancient Egyptian Symbols and their Meanings." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 30 Nov 2020. Web. 26 Dec 2024.

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