Discover why and how the thrilling discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 provided the key to decoding hieroglyphs, allowing us to read this ancient script.

Curators of Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt, Ilona Regulski and Kelly Accetta Crowe, explore how this breakthrough, 200 years ago, came to pass after the exciting race for decipherment by France’s Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832) and England's Thomas Young (1773–1829). Cracking the ancient code of hieroglyphs opened up the world of ancient Egypt and expanded our understanding of human history by some 3,000 years.

This event is part of the public programme supporting Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt (13 October 2022 – 19 February 2023).

More information about the exhibition can be found here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibit...

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Image credit: Temple lintel of King Amenemhat III, Hawara, Egypt, 12th Dynasty, 1855–08 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum

Object on Collection online: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collect...