The heroic days of deciphering hieroglyphics and cuneiform make for great stories, but will we ever see that happen again?

With so many ancient texts around the world, you might wonder which alphabet was the first to be developed. In other words, ...

The symbols they used were called hieroglyphs, which comes from a Greek word meaning ‘sacred carving’. The ancient Egyptians believed that hieroglyphs had been invented by the gods.

Some of these symbols are similar to elements in Linear A. It is assumed that the hieroglyphic script developed into Linear A, though the two systems were both in use during the same time period.

Dates: 3100 B.C. to 30 B.C. Writing: Hieroglyphics, a writing system that uses pictures; hieratic, a quicker type of "cursive"; and demotic, a written short-form script Ancient Egypt's gods ...