The best known of the ancient writing systems is probably Egyptian hieroglyphics, a term meaning “sacred carvings,” since many of the earliest writings were inscribed on stone.
The use of various ways of measuring led naturally to record keeping, and for this some form of writing was necessary. The earliest civilizations all seem to have used picture-writing—pictures representing both sounds and objects to the reader. The best known of the ancient writing systems is probably Egyptian hieroglyphics, a term meaning “sacred carvings,” since many of the earliest writings were inscribed on stone.