A hieroglyph is a character used in the writing system of ancient Egypt, known as Egyptian hieroglyphs. These symbols represent sounds, words, or ideas and were often carved into stone or painted on walls. Hieroglyphs were used for religious texts, official inscriptions, and monumental art, playing a crucial role in Egyptian culture. The writing system consists of over 700 symbols, including pictograms and phonetic signs. Hieroglyphs were primarily used from around 3100 BCE until the end of the Roman Empire in the 4th century CE. The ability to read hieroglyphs was lost for centuries until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, which helped decode the script.