Melinda Nelson-Hurst, Ph.D. (Voices of Ancient Egypt)

Voices of Ancient Egypt

History EN ↓ 30 episodes

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-...

Author

Melinda Nelson-Hurst, Ph.D. (Voices of Ancient Egypt)

Episodes

005: Your Ticket to the Afterlife - Heart Scarabs 16.02.2026 22:22

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...

004: How Marianna Learned More in 20 Minutes Than in 8-Hour Cram Sessions 11.02.2026 33:28

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...

003: Can You Still Learn Hieroglyphs (as an Adult)? 09.02.2026 27:15

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 th...

001: How I Became an Egyptologist, University Professor, & Serial Traveler 03.02.2026 32:29

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 &...

002: This Podcast Will Change How You See Ancient Egypt 03.02.2026 18:28

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 sensa...