We know them best for pyramids and pharaohs, but the ancient Egyptians left many other achievements to mystify and amaze us.
They invented the form of picture-writing known as hieroglyphs, as well as papyrus, a paperlike writing material. Their temples and pyramids give proof of their skills as architects and engineers. Ancient papyrus scrolls tell of their achievements as writers, doctors, and healers.

◀ In ancient Egypt, few people could read or write, so they hired scribes to perform those tasks. The best scribes found jobs working for the pharaoh in the royal government.

▲ Hieroglyphs can be written from left to right, right to left, or top to bottom. A simpler, cursive form called hieratic was used for business contracts, letters, and scientific texts.

◀ The invention of papyrus, made from a reed plant, was a significant advance over clay tablets. The lightweight writing material could be easily carried and stored. Scribes wrote on papyrus with brushes made from reeds.
For centuries, no one could read hieroglyphs. Then, in 1799, the Rosetta Stone was discovered, and because it showed the same text in three languages, it helped people to crack the code and understand hieroglyphs. From the top, the Rosetta Stone shows hieroglyphs, cursive demotic (used in business), and Greek. ▶



In hieroglyphs, the names of the royal family have an oval-shaped frame called a cartouche (car-TOOSH) around them. The symbol here is for Pharaoh Ramses III (1194–1163 B.C.). It reads: Rameses-mery-Amon (Rameses, the beloved of Amon).
Egyptians left detailed medical texts on long scrolls. They describe women’s health care, childbirth, and treatment of injuries. They tell how to diagnose and treat diseases, and how to make medicines. Some explain how the Egyptians believed the heart and other organs worked. For a sick princess (pictured), the royal physician consults his medical papyrus before mixing a remedy from the ingredients on the table. ▶
