Overview

The Rosetta Stone was found in Egypt in 1799. Inscribed upon it was the same text in hieroglyphs, another Egyptian form of writing called demotic, and Greek. Since Greek was well understood, the stone provided a key to deciphering the others. With all the inscriptions that still existed in stone, the ability to understand hieroglyphs vastly increased our knowledge of the civilization of ancient Egypt.

Background

Hieroglyphs, the stylized pictures and other symbols used in ancient Egyptian texts, were used for almost 3,500 years. They have been beautifully preserved over the millennia, etched into many stone walls and tablets. Yet the knowledge of their meaning was lost after the fourth century, when Egypt came under Byzantine rule. The latest known hieroglyphic inscription was carved at the Philae Temple in 394 A.D.. This temple dedicated to...