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Unlike alphabetic systems, Egyptian hieroglyphs are logographic.  Unusually, the number of symbols increased over time:  while there were only 800 symbols during the "ancient" period of Egyptian civilization, after the Hellenistic conquests, there were over 5000.

Unlike alphabetic systems, Egyptian hieroglyphs are logographic.  Unusually, the number of symbols increased over time:  while there were only 800 symbols during the "ancient" period of Egyptian civilization, after the Hellenistic conquests, there were over 5000.

 

Egyptian hieroglyphs were mostly forgotten by the Western world until Napoleons exploits in Egypt brought back many inscriptions.  They were finally deciphered upon the discovery of the [[Rosetta stone]], a single stone document which contained the same inscription in Greek, heiroglyphs, and cuneiform.

Egyptian hieroglyphs were mostly forgotten by the Western world until Napoleons exploits in Egypt brought back many inscriptions.  They were finally deciphered upon the discovery of the [[Rosetta stone]], a single stone document which contained the same inscription in Greek, heiroglyphs, and cuneiform.