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
006: From Struggling to Sightreading Hieroglyphs with Rick Richardson
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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 to fit ancient languages into a modern schedule without needing hours of free time.
Whether you are a beginner or looking to level up to complex literature and the Book of the Dead, this conversation provides the practical strategies and inspiration needed to make your goals a reality.
In this episode, you will learn:
• Why your previous attempts to learn might have failed: Discover why traditional university-style methods often lead to frustration, and why a reading-first approach can be the key to your breakthrough.
• The "90% Breakthrough" secret: Hear the moment Rick realized he could suddenly read almost an entire text at first glance and how treating language like a physical workout builds the "muscle memory" needed for fluency.
• How to hack your schedule for success: Learn how Rick uses "small chunks" of 30 minutes rather than waiting for large blocks of time to make consistent, massive progress.
• The power of "failing forward": Understand why making mistakes is a vital part of the learning science Melinda uses to help students overcome the fear of "getting it wrong".
• Why community beats solo study: Explore how a group environment --complete with informal book clubs and even ancient Egyptian cooking -- provides the accountability and camaraderie necessary to keep you from stalling.
• Reading hieroglyphs "in the wild": From local museums to Disney’s Epcot, learn how to spot and translate real ancient texts in the most unexpected places.
• Accessing the "human" side of history: Move beyond dates and kings to read personal letters and literature, allowing you to see the world exactly how the ancient Egyptians experienced it 3,000 years ago.
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Scribal School is now open! 🎉
Scribal School is my robust program that gives you everything you need to walk into a museum or up to tomb and temple walls and read the texts there.
Be a part of the 2026 Guided Study Plan for extra support and accountability (only one of 2026!).
Enrollment closes at 11:59pm ET on Thursday (May 21)!
Learn more and register for Scribal School here: https://scribalschool.com