Cracking the Egyptian Hieroglyphics

Have you ever wondered how archaeologists came to understand  Egyptian hieroglyphics? Did they spend hours poring over the ancient symbols, looking for connections? Did they find a famous codebreaker who could crack the secrets of the hieroglyphics?

In reality, the true story was much more interesting. Despite consistent exploration of Egypt, the meaning of the Egyptian hieroglyphics remained a mystery. In 1799, French soldiers on a military expedition stumbled across a giant stone used as building material for a fort on the Nile Delta. They noticed that the stone was inscribed with writing in three different languages. Two of the inscriptions featured Egyptian symbols and the third was composed of a different set of characters.

Soon, linguists were called in to investigate the stone. Upon inspection, they discovered that the non-Egyptian inscription was composed in Ancient Greek. When they translated the Greek text, they found that it was a decree issued in 196 B.C. by the Greek ruler Ptolemy V.

Observing that the two Egyptian inscriptions shared noticeable similarities, they deduced that the stone featured the same decree, inscribed in three different languages. Upon translation, they discovered the meaning of a large variety of Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Known officially as the Rosetta Stone, the inscribed rock formed the foundation for the study of Ancient Egypt and its civilization and history. Today, it rests in London's British Museum, where it consistently remains the most popular attraction.

Do you think archaeologists would have ever cracked the code to understanding the Egyptian hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone? Join the discussion below!

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