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-di...
004: How Marianna Learned More in 20 Minutes Than in 8-Hour Cram Sessions
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.D. or eight hours a day to finally hear the voices of the ancient world.
What...
003: Can You Still Learn Hieroglyphs (as an Adult)?
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 from a 73-year-old learner to someone managing chronic health issues—who have successfully unlo...
001: How I Became an Egyptologist, University Professor, & Serial Traveler
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 curious newcomer, this episode reveals why understanding the ...
002: This Podcast Will Change How You See Ancient Egypt
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 mission to bridge that gap, making the ancient world accessible to everyone—regardless of their background or sc...
