Reading: Writing in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians used writing for practical records and important messages. Hieroglyphs were signs that could represent objects, sounds or ideas. They appeared on temple walls, monuments and objects placed in tombs. For everyday writing, trained scribes often used a quicker script on papyrus, a writing material prepared from riverbank vegetation. They wrote with reed pens and ink. The Rosetta Stone, found in 1799, carries one decree written in three scripts: hieroglyphic, Demotic and Ancient Greek. Because scholars could read Greek, they used it to work out how to read many hieroglyphic signs. A cartouche is an oval outline around the name of a king or queen. By studying writing and objects from Egypt, researchers learn about rulers, religious beliefs and daily life.