Hieroglyphics

Hieroglyphics

The Ancient Egyptians used picture words to write called hieroglyphics. It is a very old form of writing that they started using as early as 3000 B.C. Hieroglyphics were a very complicated way of writing and used thousands of symbols.

Since writing in hieroglyphics was so complicated, it took years of education and practice to be able to do it. The people who trained to write were called scribes. They would start training at a very young age of six or seven. Being a scribe was a good job in Ancient Egypt.

The Ancient Egyptians often wrote on tablets or walls, but they also wrote on a type of paper called papyrus. Papyrus paper was made from a tall reed-like plant called Papyrus. The Egyptians would use strips of the inner part of the plant to make the paper.

Fun Facts about Egyptian Hieroglyphics

When the Greeks took over Egypt, many scribes had to learn Greek as well.

Most of the Ancient Egyptians could not read or write.

Adapted from Ducksters website