How Do You Know Which Way To Read A Name Written In Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs?
Have you ever seen a name, that was written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, and wondered, “Which way does it go?” Since ancient Egyptian could be written left to right, right to left, or bottom to top, this is a valid question. There is a simple trick to it, though. Be aware that a name, in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, is always preceded by the image of a person that is sitting. This person can be male, or female, and will tell you if the name is of a male, or a female. Since many sounds, in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, are represented by certain animals, decide which way the animals are facing. For instance, look to see if the beak of a vulture or quail is pointing to the left. Is it pointing right? A name will be displayed inside a cartouche. A cartouche that is oriented horizontally could read either to the left, or the right. The person that is sitting can be a big indicator of which direction the name reads, since they will precede it. However, some cartouches are vertically or
