ANSWERS: 1
  • Discovered in 1799, the Rosetta Stone is an artifact dating to 196 B.C. that has been used by scholars to decipher Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. It is currently housed in the British Museum.

    Discovery

    The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 by Napoleon's army as it was building a fort in el-Rashid, Egypt. In 1801, the stone became the property of Britain as a part of the Treaty of Alexandria in which Napoleon conceded defeat.

    Lost Knowledge

    Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics were used by priests in the second century B.C. The ability to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics had been lost since the fourth century A.D., when no one used the form of writing anymore.

    Language Key

    The Rosetta Stone features the same decree inscribed in three different languages. The languages on the stone are hieroglyphic, demotic (a version of ancient Egyptian language used by common people) and Greek. This allowed scholars to compare the unknown hieroglyphs with a known language and thus decipher the hieroglyphs.

    Importance to Historians

    Since the stone was deciphered, historians have been able to use their knowledge of hieroglyphics to learn about ancient Egyptian culture. Much of this culture remained a mystery until the Rosetta Stone gave scholars the ability to read hieroglyphs.

    Rosetta Stone on Display

    The Rosetta Stone has been housed at the British Museum since 1802. During World War I, it was removed and placed in an underground rail station to protect it from heavy bombing raids.

    Source:

    The Rosetta Stone in the British Museum

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