Hieroglyphics, hy uhr uh GLIHF ihks, is a form of writing in which picture symbols represent ideas and sounds. The word hieroglyphics comes from two Greek words that mean sacred carving. Hieroglyphics usually refers to the writing of ancient Egypt. However, forms of picture writing were used in other ancient cultures as well, notably by the Hittites, who lived in the region that is now Turkey, and by the Maya and Aztec Indians of Central America.