Archaeologists exploring near the ancient Egyptian city of Elkab have discovered a monumental hieroglyphic rock inscription. The previously undocumented inscription depicts the earliest stages of hieroglyphics, and will help scholars better understand how the ancient Egyptians created their writing system. The inscription has been dated to 3250 BC and portrays common hieroglyphs, although at a scale not previously seen before. Each individual sign measures over half a meter in height (compared to previous hieroglyphs which were 2-3 centimeters tall). The researchers from Yale University have used new technology to create 3D images of the inscriptions from photographs taken on site.
Off-site Links:
- http://news.yale.edu/2017/06/20/yale-archaeologists-discover-earliest-monumental-egyptian-hieroglyphs
- http://newatlas.com/egyptian-hieroglyphs-billboard/50139/