In the Egyptian Gallery of the British Museum sits an odd-shaped black
rock - the Rosetta Stone. Unimpressive at first glance, it is
nonetheless one of the greatest treasures of ancient Egypt, for it holds
the key to this magnificant civilization.
Before the Rosetta Stone was found, Egyptian history was lost to the
world. The only clues were the mysterious picture writings that adorned
temples and pyramids. For hundreds of years, scholars struggled to
decipher these hieroglyphs. Then, in 1799, soldiers in Napolean's army
stumbled on the Rosetta Stone.