The Rosetta Stone: a gift from the gods

By 3,200BC the Ancient Egyptians had developed a written script called hieroglyphs, which they thought was a divine gift from the gods. Evidence of this script can be seen on many Ancient Egyptian remains, including the Rosetta Stone.

The evidence

It is the summer of 1799. In a fort, just north of the town of Rosetta, Napoleon’s soldiers are busily building up defences against a British attack. Egypt has become important as a faster route to India. As the soldiers pull stones from an old wall, they notice a distinctive piece of black granite covered with different kinds of writing. Knowing how enthusiastic Napoleon has become about Ancient Egyptian artefacts, they immediately show him the stone.

Why was the Rosetta Stone important?