Since so many cultures use different forms of engravings, it's hard to pinpoint one meaning of engraving. Over time, the meaning of engraving has changed and will likely continue to change as well.
In ancient times, people engraved items in honor of their gods or rulers. Stone carvings found in the Serengeti Plains of Africa prove that man engraved in stone as long as 500,000 years ago. Other goddesses and gods have been found inscribed in rock around the globe, from Austria, to Egypt and the Americas.
Another use of engraving is to show wealth. Beginning around 3,000 BC, Hittite carvers began engraving "seals." These seals were simply ornate pieces of jewelry made from precious gemstones or soap stones. Each seal was engraved with a unique and intricate design. It is likely that only the most wealthy individuals owned one of these seals.
Like today, people of ancient times used engraving to make things ornate. They would engrave fixtures for temples and synogogues, they same as we engrave jewelry, furniture or other items. Engraving adds value, and makes an item priceless.
However, the most important use of engraving is to record history. With help of the Rossette Stone, scholars were able to understand ancient hieroglyphics as more than artistic pictures. They were instead a compilation of historical records. Other records have been found on metal plates and scrolls used to preserve the information over time.