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PODCAST

Voices of Ancient Egypt

Melinda Nelson-Hurst, Ph.D. (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

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All Episodes

26:23

013: From Bogged Down Memorizing Signs to Reading...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/03/10

In this episode of the Voices of Ancient Egypt podcast, Dr. Melinda interviews Ed Smith-Rowland, a computer programmer and engineer who successfully transitioned from a frustrated "lone nerd" with a thick textbook to a confident reader of ancient biographies, letters, and the Book of the Dead. This conversation dives deep into the specific psychological and structural barriers that stop most students by chapter two and the exact "habit-forming" strategies Ed used to break through and finall...

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27:08

012: How to Go from Hesitant Beginner to Confident...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/03/08

Many people dream of reading hieroglyphs but are paralyzed by the fear that it's too hard or that they aren't ready to take the next step. In this episode, student Marysa Alexander reveals how she overcame years of procrastination, a debilitating illness, and the "perfectionism trap" to go from a hesitant beginner to a confident translator of next-level texts (even literature, such as the Shipwrecked Sailor). Marysa shares the specific psychological shifts and study strategies that allowed h...

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19:13

011: They made an (ancient) mistake with Bob Mathas

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/03/04

In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, host Melinda sits down with Bob Mathas, a retiree and student of hieroglyphs who turned a pre-trip curiosity into a deep, multi-year mastery of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Bob shares his journey from learning basic symbols to confidently deciphering artifacts in museums around the world, proving that you don't need a Ph.D. to "be your own archaeologist." Whether you are worried about the time commitment, the difficulty of the script, or just staying focus...

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25:57

010: Are You Ready to be a Scribe?

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/03/02

In this episode, Melinda gives you a full behind-the-scenes breakdown of her next-level group program, Master Scribes. And she addresses the common question many Egyptophiles have: "Am I really ready to learn hieroglyphs?" She reveals how focusing on a "text-led" approach allows you to skip the frustration of thick grammar books and start reading real ancient Egyptian texts immediately, regardless of your background or busy schedule. Master Scribes is a customized, 6-month group program, wh...

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24:15

009: From “Level Zero” to Reading the Book of the...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/03/01

In this episode, Melinda interviews Nicky Broers, a student who transformed his struggle with impersonal self-teaching books into a successful journey of reading real Ancient Egyptian texts. Nicky shares his experience navigating a learning disability and a non-native language to find a "multiple-road" approach to learning that prioritizes flexibility and community over rigid academic schedules. We will also hear how Nicky has maintained momentum through major life challenges and how a supp...

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26:30

008: How Jen Skyrocketed Her Hieroglyphs Learning –...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/25

In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, host and Egyptologist Dr. Melinda sits down with hieroglyphs student Jen to explore how real people with busy lives are making incredible progress reading hieroglyphs. Jen shares her journey from a childhood fascination with Egypt to successfully navigating ancient medical texts and classic literature. You’ll discover how Jen moved past the "puzzle" stage of seeing hieroglyphs as just cool pictures and started understanding them as a living languag...

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14:30

007: Heqanakht: the Most Famous Ancient Egyptian You...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/23

In this episode, we explore the fascinating Heqanakht letters, a collection of 4,000-year-old documents discovered in the rubble of an ancient Egyptian tomb. Unlike the typical "treasures" associated with Egyptology, these papyri offer a rare, unfiltered window into the personal and financial affairs of a Middle Kingdom priest and landowner named Heqanakht. We’ll dive into how these mundane letters survived for millennia and why they eventually became the unexpected inspiration for one of th...

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25:30

006: From Struggling to Sightreading Hieroglyphs with...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/18

In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, Dr. Melinda sits down with Rick Richardson, a software developer and "Master Scribe" student, to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to master hieroglyphs amidst a busy life. Rick shares his journey from childhood curiosity to hitting "academic walls" with traditional courses, eventually finding success by shifting his focus. They discuss the transformative power of community accountability, the science of how we actually learn, and how t...

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23:01

005: Your Ticket to the Afterlife - Heart Scarabs

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/16

In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, we go beyond the museum glass to uncover the mysteries of the heart scarab, one of the most iconic objects found in ancient Egyptian burials. These large, beetle-shaped amulets were far more than simple ornaments; they served as a sophisticated form of "afterlife insurance," designed to protect the deceased during their most vulnerable moment: the final judgment before the gods. We’ll explore the physical craftsmanship of these objects, the terrifyi...

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34:08

004: How Marianna Learned More in 20 Minutes Than in...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/11

In this episode, Melinda sits down with student Marianna Sanborn to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to transition from struggling student to confident translator. Despite having an MA in Egyptology, Marianna found traditional academic methods left her "shell-shocked" and unable to actually read the texts she loved. Join us as Marianna shares the specific strategies, mindset shifts, and "grace" she used to stop memorizing and start understanding—proving that you don’t need a Ph....

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27:55

003: Can You Still Learn Hieroglyphs (as an Adult)?

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/09

In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst addresses the burning question many enthusiasts have: Is it too late to learn how to read hieroglyphs?. Drawing on her years of academic and field experience, Melinda explores why hieroglyphs are the "missing piece" for anyone who has spent years consuming content about ancient Egypt but still feels a disconnect from the actual words of the people who lived it. You will hear inspiring stories from real students—ranging fro...

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32:29

001: How I became an Egyptologist, university...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/03

In this debut episode of the Voices of Ancient Egypt podcast, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst shares her personal journey from a young child enamored with a "beat-up" museum catalog to becoming a professional Egyptologist with a Ph.D. She opens up about the real-life challenges of pursuing a career in academia, the sensory-rich experience of living in Cairo, and her mission to break down the "academic walls" that keep ancient knowledge hidden. Whether you are a longtime fan of ancient history or a...

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18:28

002: This Podcast Will Change How You See Ancient Egypt

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2026/02/03

In this episode of the Voices of Ancient Egypt podcast, Egyptologist Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst pulls back the curtain on why she founded Voices of Ancient Egypt and what it means to truly understand ancient civilization on a deeper, more meaningful level. After years of teaching at the university level and working in the field, Dr. Nelson-Hurst recognized a massive "canyon" between sensationalized, repetitive media and the dense, jargon-filled academic world. This episode explores the missio...

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18:10

Finding Ancient Mistakes with Bob Mathas

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2025/09/03

What started three years ago as a desire to enrich a trip to Egypt quickly evolved into Bob Mathas’ passionate pursuit. Bob began with foundational online learning, which transformed his initial travel experience by allowing him to recognize key symbols and make his trip much more fulfilling. He then transitioned to more advanced studies, seeking to delve beyond basic, formulaic texts like the offering formula, to understand more diverse Egyptian texts and gain practice. This progression sign...

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24:01

Groups are Better than One-on-One Tutoring with Jen

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2025/08/31

Jen shares her remarkable transformation from a childhood fascination with ancient Egypt and its hieroglyphs to actively reading and understanding complex texts today. She recounts how she moved beyond simply recognizing individual glyphs to confidently dissecting and translating ancient Egyptian as a living language -- reading texts like stelae, tomb walls, the Book of the Dead, historical texts, and stories, like the Shipwrecked Sailor. Jen shares how she's reached a level a personal achiev...

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24:38

From Bogged Down to Reading Whole Egyptian Texts with...

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2025/08/26

Ed Smith-Rowland has journeyed from a lifelong passion for ancient Egypt to confidently reading hieroglyphs. Ed shares his transformation from struggling with a dense grammar textbook and getting "bogged down" in memorization after just a couple chapters, to now reading a wide variety of ancient Egyptian texts -- everything from temple and tomb walls to letters and literature to heart scarabs and the Book of the Dead. He discusses how a structured approach and small, consistent daily practice...

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32:04

How Marianna Learned MORE Hieroglyphs in 87% LESS Time

Voices of Ancient Egypt ·

2025/08/21

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 too...

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17 results

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