Article Outline Development of hieroglyphic writing. Deciphering hieroglyphic writing. Other hieroglyphic writing. The word hieroglyphics comes from two Greek words that mean sacred carving.
Hieroglyphics usually refers to the writing of ancient Egypt.
However, forms of picture writing were used in other ancient cultures as well, notably by the Hittites, who lived in the region that is now Turkey, and by the Maya and Aztec Indians of Central America. The ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphic writing for more than 3,000 years. They used hieroglyphic writing primarily for religious inscriptions on temples and stone monuments and to record the words and deeds of royalty. In fact, the Egyptians called their writing the words of God. The inscriptions were written or carved by highly trained men who were called scribes.