Hieroglyphics were the form of writing used by ancient Egyptians beginning 5000 years ago. They used pictorial symbols to represent words and ideas, carving them into stone, painting them on papyrus, and writing in any direction. Important names, like those of kings, were enclosed in an oval shape called a cartouche. The Rosetta Stone helped scholars decipher hieroglyphics by providing a translation in Greek. Scribes, who were highly regarded, went to school to learn the complex system of symbols and how to write them.
2. What are Hieroglyphics?
• The Egyptians began writing 5000
years ago
• They used pictures to represent their
language
• We call their form of writing
“hieroglyphs”
4. How did they share
ideas?
• Egyptians used symbols to
represent their ideas
• They used pictures of people and
animals
• They used no punctuation in their
writing
5. How did they write?
• Hieroglyphics can be written in any
direction
• Top to bottom or left to right
• Egyptians wrote on temples, tablets
or papyrus
6. What is Papyrus?
• Papyrus are reeds grown near the
Nile
• The reeds were dried and flattened
out
• Ink or paint was used for writing
7. Who did the writing?
• Scribes went to school to learn
hieroglyphics
• They would start training at age
seven
• Scribes were seen very high in
society
8. What is a cartouche?
• Egyptians wrote names of kings in
cartouches
• Cartouches were written in an oval
shape
• Cartouches were used to mark king
tombs
9. What is the Rosetta
Stone?
• The Rosetta Stone helped decipher
Egyptian hieroglyphics
• It had three forms of writing on it
• The Greek writing helped break the
code
