10The Rosetta Stone
Arguably the most famous artifact in the entire museum, the Rosetta Stone unlocked the secret of ancient Egyptian writing. Discovered in 1799, this slab of granodiorite bears the same inscription in three scripts: Greek, Demotic, and Egyptian hieroglyphs.
It was this discovery that allowed scholars—most notably Jean-François Champollion—to finally decipher hieroglyphs and open the door to understanding thousands of years of Egyptian civilization. Standing before it, you’re looking at the key that revived a lost language and culture.
Gallery: Room 4 (Egyptian Sculpture)
