Curators' introduction - Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt

Discover why and how the thrilling discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 provided the key to decoding hieroglyphs, allowing us to read this ancient script. Curators of Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt, Ilona Regulski and Kelly Accetta Crowe, explore how this breakthrough, 200 years ago, came to pass after the exciting race for decipherment by France’s Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832) and England's Thomas Young (1773–1829). Cracking the ancient code of hieroglyphs opened up the world of ancient Egypt and expanded our understanding of human history by some 3,000 years. This event is part of the public programme supporting Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt (13 October 2022 – 19 February 2023). More information about the exhibition can be found here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibit... Sign up to our newsletters for the latest news on our work, stories about the collection and upcoming events: https://emails.britishmuseum.org/k/Br... We’re bringing inspiring stories of humanity’s shared histories and cultural achievements to millions of people online. Your support ensures that we can continue to make the collection and videos like this one available to as many people as possible. If you can, please donate today: http://ow.ly/1e1Y30qHebG or you can text BMLEARN to 70085. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message (UK mobile networks only). Please see our social media code of conduct: http://ow.ly/HGiw30se20t Image credit: Temple lintel of King Amenemhat III, Hawara, Egypt, 12th Dynasty, 1855–08 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum Collection online: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collect...