Introduction The Rosetta Stone is one of the most iconic artifacts in the history of archaeology and linguistics. Discovered in 1799, this granodiorite stele bearing inscriptions in three different scripts unlocked the mysteries of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and opened up the study of ancient Egypt after centuries of misunderstanding. The importance of the Rosetta Stone cannot be overstated – its decipherment in the early 19th century was the defining event that gave birth to the entire field of Egyptology. Background on Ancient Egyptian Writing To understand the significance of the Rosetta Stone, it is important to understand the history of […]