Egyptian Hieroglyphs
OriginEgypt
Earliest3200 BC
TypeLogographic
About Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Over 7,000 known symbols, about 1,000 commonly used. Combines logographic and alphabetic elements. Deciphered in 1822 by Jean-Francois Champollion using the Rosetta Stone. Scribes trained for 12 years to master the system. Written left to right, right to left, or top to bottom. The last known inscription dates to 394 AD.
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