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Hieroglyphs)
Hieroglyphs typical of the Graeco-Roman period
Hieroglyph (Greek ἱερογλύφος "sacred carving") or hieroglyphics ( = τὰ ἱερογλυφικά [γράμματα]) may refer to:
[edit] Origin
"Hieroglyphs" refer to the characters made by graphical figures, be it animals or objects.
The characters that are relatively old seem to originate from Sumer or Elam in Mesopotamia[citation needed]. The hieroglyphs that were originally used for recording agricultural products and handicrafts led to the birth of linear and cuneiform script, widely used by the Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians. 5000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians had started to use other Hieroglyphs in a separate way. The features that are visually well arranged about heavenly bodies, natural phenomena, animals and plants, God, humans, residences and households were used for 3000 years for recording Egyptian. Ancient Greeks called this system Hieroglyphs, literally "sacred writings", because it was mainly used by government officials for God.
[edit] References
- Andrew Robinson (2007). Alphabets, Hieroglyphs and Pictograms, London: Thames & Hudson.
- Angelika Rauch (1997). The Hieroglyph of Tradition, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press.
- Douglas J (2007). Egypt and the Egyptians, UK: Cambridge University Press.
- Janice Kamrin (2004) Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Practical Guide. New York, Abrams
[edit] See also
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