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.