By Keri Murrell
The Rosetta Stone, once part of a bigger stone was discovered by Napoleon’s troops in Egypt in 1799, and became the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs (script made of pictures representing words), thanks to its inscription in three different languages: hieroglyphs, Demotic (common script of Ancient Egypt), and Ancient Greek (the rulers of Egypt at that point). Translated by scholars like Thomas Young and Jean-François Champollion, it revealed a decree in support of Pharaoh Ptolemy V, stating how he would restore peace, and how he would otherwise benefit the country and its people. The stone has been housed in the British Museum since 1802.
