The Rosetta Stone is an incomplete grey and pink granodiorite stela dating from 196 BCE which presents a priestly decree concerning King Ptolemy V of Egypt. The text is in three different versions: Hieroglyphic, Demotic and Greek, a fact which immeasurably helped to finally decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Rosetta Stone is today on display in the British Museum, London.
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Definition
Timeline
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196 BCEThe Rosetta Stone was made, a stela carrying a priestly decree from the reign of Ptolemy V in three languages: Egyptian hieroglyphs, demotic and Greek script.
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15 Jul 1799 CEThe Rosetta Stone is rediscovered by Pierre-François Bouchard, an officer in Napoleon's army.
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1822 CEChampollion announces decipherment of hieroglyphic writing.
