Ancient Egyptians wrote using symbols. They did not use letters and words. This kind of writing is called hieroglyphics (hye-ruh-GLIF-iks). Each picture or symbol stood for a sound or an object. There were seven hundred or more symbols. Straight lines like tally marks were used for the numbers from one to nine. The number ten looked like an upside down "U". The symbols were written on a kind of paper made from reeds. This paper was called papyrus. Reeds were used like pencils. Each reed was sharpened to a point. Then it was .....