Voices of Ancient Egypt
Welcome to Voices of Ancient Egypt — the podcast for people who don’t just want to learn about ancient Egypt, but want to understand it at a deeper, more meaningful level.
Your podcast host, Melinda Nelson-Hurst, Ph.D., is an Egyptologist with years of experience teaching at the university level, working in Egypt, and training students around the world to read real ancient Egyptian texts. She’s spent decades studying this civilization in a traditional academic setting so you don’t have to — and so you can access knowledge that’s usually locked behind academic walls.
With a blend of solo deep-dives and conversations with experts and everyday Egyptophiles, this podcast brings ancient Egyptian history, beliefs, and language to life — and shows you how learning hieroglyphs is possible, no matter your age, background, or schedule.
Whether you want to read hieroglyphs in museums, on social media, or on your next trip to Egypt, you’ll find the tools, stories, and encouragement to make it real.
Let’s hear the voices of the ancient world — together.
Voices of Ancient Egypt
How Marianna Learned MORE Hieroglyphs in 87% LESS Time
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Marianna Sanborn went from studying 6-8 hours per day – and getting nowhere – to making huge progress with hieroglyphs by slowing down and studying in small pockets of time.
Marianna's passion for hieroglyphs ignited when she witnessed a museum guide reading hieroglyphic texts on a sarcophagus. Marianna said, “I want to do that!” She was so inspired that she got a Masters Degree in Egyptology!
But, after completing her M.A., she had little to show for it in the hieroglyphs department. She took a hieroglyphs course where she studied an intense six to eight hours a day, yet felt lost, frustrated, and unable to keep up. Despite passing exams, she realized she had "zero understanding" of the material.
Marianna realized that she needed a new approach. That’s where Scribal School and Master Scribes came in. It’s there that she soon discovered a more sustainable method: focusing on doing "a little, do it steady," shedding the pressure to memorize everything and study "a million hours a day".
This shift allowed her to slow down, dedicating a small chunk of time per day, which paradoxically led to learning much quicker, more effectively, and with deeper understanding.
Marianna's progress has been remarkable. Initially, she could only recognize individual letters on museum artifacts. Now she’s reading so many Egyptian texts.
She vividly recalls a "wow moment" at the Minnesota Institute of Art, where she could explain the text on a false door to her family – a huge leap from what she could understand during earlier visits.
In this powerful conversation, you’ll discover how Marianna transformed her struggles with traditional academic methods into a joyful and effective learning process.
In this episode, we dive into:
• Embracing a Sustainable Pace: Why "just do a little, do it steady" is more effective than studying for "a million hours a day".
• Navigating Non-Linear Progress: How progress often comes in leaps rather than a smooth, linear progression. If a lesson isn't sticking, Marianna advises stepping away and returning later, as your brain often continues working on the material in the background, leading to breakthroughs. This also means accepting that you won't get everything the first time and that learning is like a "spiral" of going back and forth.
• Effective Study Techniques: How Marianna "reverse engineers" lessons to build confidence and deepen understanding.
• Consistency Over Intensity: Why focused 20-minute study sessions are effective and can add up significantly.
• Adapting to Life's Demands: How to give yourself grace and adapt your study routine during busy or challenging times, such as illness.
• The Broader Impact of Learning: Marianna shares that learning hieroglyphs is not just about language; it offers a deeper understanding of ancient Egyptian culture, gods, and their way of thinking.
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My 6-month, next-level hieroglyph reading program, Master Scribes, is open for enrollment!
In this program you'll go from reading the basics to reading next-level texts, like literature, letters, and the Book of the Dead, with confidence.
Space is very limited due to the high level support from me (Melinda).
Applications close WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11.
Check out all the details and submit your application at www.masterscribes.com