The Ancient Egyptians (about 2000 B.C.) had a simple way of counting
and recording numbers.
It was based very much like the decimal system the world uses today.
It is similar because it uses 10 as the important number. With decimal notation 10
units make 1 ten; 10 tens make 1 hundred; 10 hundreds make 1 thousand etc.
With Egyptian Glyphs 1 is represented by I; 10 is represented by ‫;ח‬
100 is represented by ‫ף‬
For example, the number 253 would be represented by
I I I ‫ףף חחחחח‬
Resource Author: Ms Sam Stacey,
Cherry Orchard Primary School, Birmingham
1) What numbers would be represented by:
a) IIII
b) II ‫חחחחח‬
c) III ‫ףףף חחחח‬
d) IIIIII ‫ףףףףף‬
e) ‫ףףף חחח‬
2) How would you write these numbers using Glyphs:
a) 32
b) 134
c) 261
d) 204
e) 520
Answers on the next slide
ANSWERS:
Question1
a) 4
b) 52
c) 343
d) 506
e) 330
Question2
a) II ‫חחח‬
b) IIII ‫ף חחח‬
c) I ‫ףף חחחחחח‬
d) IIII ‫ףף‬
e) ‫ףףףףף חח‬
ADDITION USING GLYPHS
Addition with Glyphs is relatively straightforward.
II ‫חחח‬
In Decimal Form:
32
add
+
I ‫ ףףףף חח‬add
In Decimal Form:
III ‫ חחחח‬simply becomes
43
IIIII ‫חחחחחחח‬
=
75
II ‫ ף חחח‬simply becomes
421
+
132
III ‫ףףףףף חחחחח‬
=
553
If you have 10 of 1 character you simply replace it with 1 of the next highest
character.
IIIIIII ‫ףף‬
add
IIIII ‫ ףף ח‬becomes IIIIIIIIIIII ‫ףףףף ח‬
But IIIIIIIIIIII becomes II ‫ח‬,
So IIIIIIIIIIII ‫ ףףףף ח‬becomes II ‫ףףףף חח‬
In Decimal Form:
207
+
215
=
422
Questions on ADDITION USING GLYPHS.
For each of the following make your calculations using Glyphs then
change your final answer to decimal form.
a) IIIII ‫ חחח‬add II ‫חח‬
b) II ‫ ף חחח‬add I ‫ףף חחחח‬
c) IIIIIII ‫ חחח‬add
IIIII ‫ף חח‬
d) III ‫ ף חחחחחח‬add II ‫ף חחחח‬
e) IIIIII ‫ףף חחח‬
add IIIIII ‫חחחחחחחח‬
f) IIIII ‫ חחחחחח‬add IIIII ‫חחח‬
Answers on the next slide
Answers to Addition with Glyphs.
a) 57
b) 373
c) 162
d) 305
e) 322
f) 100
SUBTRACTION USING GLYPHS
Subtraction with Glyphs is relatively straightforward too.
IIIII ‫חחחח‬
subtract
II ‫ח‬
IIIII ‫חחחח‬
subtract
II ‫ח‬
Decimal Form:
45
-
leaves
12
=
III ‫חחח‬
33
If there are not enough of a certain character to remove, then replace 1 of the
next highest character with 10 of the smaller character.
III ‫חחח‬
subtract
IIIII ‫ח‬
There are not enough “I”s on the left hand side to take away so one “‫ "ח‬is
replaced with 10 “I”s.
IIIIIIIIIIIII ‫חח‬
subtract
IIIII ‫ח‬
IIIIIIIIIIIII ‫חח‬
subtract
IIIII ‫ח‬
Decimal Form: 33
-
15
=
leaves IIIIIIII ‫ח‬
18
Questions on SUBTRACTION USING GLYPHS.
For each of the following make your calculations using Glyphs then change your
final answer to decimal form.
a) IIII ‫ חחחחח‬subtract III ‫חח‬
b) IIIII ‫ ףף חחח‬subtract II ‫ף חח‬
c) IIIII ‫ ףףףףף‬subtract IIIII ‫ףף‬
d) III ‫ ףףףף חח‬subtract II ‫חח‬
e) I ‫ חחחחח‬subtract IIIII ‫חח‬
f) III ‫ ףף חחח‬subtract IIIIII ‫ף חח‬
g) ‫ףףף חחחח‬
h) I ‫ף ח‬
i) ‫ף‬
subtract
subtract
subtract
‫ף חחחחחחח‬
IIII ‫ח‬
IIII
Answers on the next slide
Answers to Subtraction with Glyphs.
a) 31
b) 113
c) 300
d) 401
e) 26
f) 107
g) 170
h) 97
i) 96
MULTIPLICATION USING GLYPHS
Multiplication with Glyphs is more complicated than addition or subtraction but
the method can be used to make multiplication with decimals easier.