Lost Languages: Cracking the Code

Monday, 10am -12pm

Start Date

28 April, 2025

There will be 6 weekly meetings on Monday 10am-12pm, starting from 28 April. 

Overview

In 1822 Francois Champollion announced that he had cracked the hieroglyph code at long last. Since then other ancient scripts such as cuneiform and Linear B have also been deciphered alongside, most recently, the Maya writing of Central America. But other writing systems still elude the world of scholarship.

The aim of the course is to examine how scholars set about deciphering an ancient script. Examples from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Crete and Central America will be studied. Finally a number of scripts that still baffle the experts will be examined.

The course is open to all who are interested in the topic and no prior knowledge is assumed. Material will be made available through the Canvas system.

Syllabus

  1. Invention of Writing - Egyptian Hieroglyphs

  2. Deciphering of Hieroglyphs  - Invention of the Alphabet

  3. Cuneiform

  4. Indo-European Scripts

  5. Maya Writing

  6. Undeciphered Scripts today

This course will start on Monday 28 April. The course is online and will take place on the 5 May. However, there will be no lesson on 26 May. This course will finish on the 9 June. 

Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier if courses are over- or under-subscribed. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

Course Lecturer: Michael Tunnicliffe

Michael Tunnicliffe is a free lance lecturer in Adult Education. He studied at Birmingham and Cambridge and is a long standing tutor at Liverpool Continuing Education having taught both face to face and Zoom classes for the past 20 years.

Courses fees: Full fee £95/Concession £50.

Back to: Continuing Education