When did ancient Egyptian scribes use columns and when they use rows in writing history?

Answer 1

Hieroglyphs could be written in rows from right to left (the most common way), from left to right, or in columns vertically downwards. Scribes writing on papyrus would usually write in rows across the page - this was how pupils were taught to write on ostraca (broken pottery) before they were permitted to use papyrus.

When writing inscriptions, particularly those with pictures and scenes accompanying them, scribes were taught to arrange the text in an artistic and pleasing way around the figures, animals and other elements. In a narrow, vertical space it makes sense to have the text in columns, but where there is plenty of space the text can be arranged in rows.

Often, around doorways or in formal religious scenes, texts are arranged on each side reading in opposite directions like the wings of a bird - either in columns or rows. The idea was always to be tidy, compact and balanced. This was just a part of the ancient Egyptian idea of the "right way" to do things, embodied by the goddess Ma'at, which is why Egyptian hieroglyphs remained virtually unchanged for over 3,000 years.