Hieroglyphs form some of the oldest writing in the world. The word 'hieroglyph' means 'sacred carvings' in Greek and is the name given to written characters formed by drawings. These drawings can be of people, animals, plants, or many other objects. Numerous ancient cultures used one form or another of hieroglyphs. The Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians of the Middle East all used hieroglyphs. So did the Mayans of South America. However, it is the Ancient Egyptians who are most famous for using a form of hieroglyphs for their writing.