The Rosetta Stone : How Greek taught us what Egyptian Hieroglyphs say

How the Greek language unlocked the mysteries of the Hieroglyphics

The Rosetta Stone is a significant artifact that has had a profound impact on our understanding of human history. Discovered in 1799 by Pierre François Xavier Bouchard, a French officer, during the construction of Fort Julien near the town of Rosetta (Rashīd) in Egypt, the stone was inscribed with a decree passed by a council of priests affirming the royal cult of Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The decree was written in three scripts: hieroglyphics, demotic script, and the Greek alphabet.

The Rosetta Stone was the key to cracking the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Scholars traced the origins of the stone to 196 B.C. in Egypt’s Ptolemaic era. The letters and symbols carefully chiseled into its dark face would shed light on the glory of ancient Egyptian civilization. But first, scholars would have to crack its code. The Rosetta Stone was the first bilingual text discovered in modern times, and it was the key to unlocking the mysteries of the hieroglyphics. 

The stone slab contained the same text in three different scripts: hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Greek. Scholars were able to use the Greek text to decipher the hieroglyphics because they already knew how to read Greek. The Greek text provided a crucial clue to the meaning of the hieroglyphics.

The Decipherment of the Rosetta Stone

The decipherment of the Rosetta Stone was a monumental achievement that opened up a new world of knowledge about ancient civilizations. Thomas Young of England and Jean-François Champollion of France were instrumental in this process. Young deciphered the cartouche as the name of Ptolemy and proved a long-held assumption that the cartouches found in other inscriptions were the names of royalty. Champollion, starting where Young left off, began to publish papers on the decipherment of hieratic and hieroglyphic writing based on the study of the Rosetta Stone. He eventually established an entire list of signs with their Greek equivalents.

The decipherment of the Rosetta Stone had a profound impact on the world and history. It expanded our understanding of human history by some 3,000 years, unlocking the secrets of an ancient civilization that had been shrouded in mystery for centuries. The stone provided a key to the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing, which had died out after the fourth century due to the rise of Christianity. Scholars of the 19th century could still read ancient Greek, which was one of the three languages found carved into the stone.

Impact on Linguistics

The Rosetta Stone has also had a significant impact on the field of linguistics. It provided the first key to understanding hieroglyphics, a complex system of writing that had been lost to time. This breakthrough led to a greater understanding of the ancient Egyptian language and culture, and it paved the way for further discoveries in the field of archaeology.

In conclusion, the discovery of the Rosetta Stone and the subsequent decipherment of hieroglyphics have had a profound impact on our understanding of human history. They have expanded our knowledge of ancient civilizations, opened up new avenues of research in the field of archaeology, and provided a key to understanding a complex system of writing that had been lost to time. Today, the stone is housed in the British Museum, serving as a testament to the ingenuity of ancient civilizations and the relentless curiosity of the human spirit.

Watch another documentary below to learn more. Did you know that there is a language courses company named after the Rosetta Stone? If you are interested to learn more about Hieroglyphics, read on after this video.

The Modern Study and Teaching of Hieroglyphics

Hieroglyphics, the ancient Egyptian script that used pictorial symbols to represent words and sounds, has fascinated scholars and enthusiasts for centuries. But how is this script studied and taught in the modern world, and what are the challenges and opportunities that it presents?

The Decipherment of Hieroglyphics

The first step to studying and teaching hieroglyphics was to decipher its meaning, which was lost after the decline of the ancient Egyptian civilization. The key to this breakthrough was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, a fragment of a stela that had a decree written in three scripts: hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek.

The most famous figure in this process was Jean-François Champollion, a French linguist who published his decipherment of the hieroglyphic script in 1822. He demonstrated that hieroglyphs could represent both sounds and concepts, and that they had a complex grammar and syntax. He also established the field of Egyptology, the scientific study of ancient Egypt, which relies heavily on the analysis of hieroglyphic texts.

The Study of Hieroglyphics

Today, hieroglyphics are studied by professional Egyptologists, who use various methods and tools to interpret and translate the texts. These include:

• Dictionaries and grammars: There are several reference works that provide the meanings, pronunciations, and grammatical rules of the hieroglyphic language, such as the Dictionary of Middle Egyptian by Raymond Faulkner, or the Middle Egyptian Grammar by James Allen.
• Corpora and databases: There are also collections of hieroglyphic texts that have been edited, transcribed, and translated, such as the Corpus of Hieroglyphic Inscriptions by the Griffith Institute, or the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. These resources allow scholars to search and compare texts from different periods and genres.
• Digital tools and software: With the advancement of technology, there are also various digital tools and software that facilitate the study of hieroglyphics, such as the JSesh editor, which allows users to type and edit hieroglyphs on a computer, or the Traslittera app, which converts hieroglyphs into transliteration and vice versa.
• Fieldwork and epigraphy: In addition to the textual sources, Egyptologists also conduct fieldwork and epigraphy, which involve the exploration, documentation, and analysis of the physical remains of ancient Egypt, such as monuments, tombs, temples, and artifacts. These provide valuable context and information for the interpretation of the hieroglyphic texts.

The Teaching of Hieroglyphics

Besides the academic research, hieroglyphics are also taught to students and the general public, who have a keen interest in learning this ancient script. There are various ways and levels of teaching hieroglyphics, such as:

• University courses: Many universities around the world offer courses and degrees in Egyptology, which include the teaching of hieroglyphics as part of the curriculum. These courses usually follow a systematic and rigorous approach, covering the history, development, structure, and function of the script, as well as the reading and translation of texts from different periods and genres.
• Online courses and MOOCs: There are also online courses and MOOCs (massive open online courses) that teach hieroglyphics to a wider audience, using interactive and multimedia platforms. These courses often adopt a more accessible and engaging approach, focusing on the basics of the script, the culture and society of ancient Egypt, and the fun and practical aspects of writing and reading hieroglyphs.
• Books and guides: For those who prefer self-study, there are also books and guides that teach hieroglyphics, ranging from introductory to advanced levels. Some examples are How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs by Mark Collier and Bill Manley, or Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs by James Allen.
• Games and puzzles: Finally, there are also games and puzzles that teach hieroglyphics in a more playful and creative way, such as the Hieroglyphs from A to Z by Peter Der Manuelian, or the Hieroglyphic Crossword Puzzle Book by Moustafa Gadalla.

The Future of Hieroglyphics

The study and teaching of hieroglyphics are not only important for preserving and understanding the past, but also for inspiring and enriching the present and the future. Hieroglyphics have influenced many aspects of modern culture, such as art, literature, music, and even emoji. They have also sparked the imagination and curiosity of many people, who see them as a gateway to a mysterious and fascinating world. As technology and education continue to evolve, hieroglyphics will remain a relevant and rewarding subject for scholars and enthusiasts alike.