Rosetta Stone Discovery

Item Ptolemaic Period

Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis in 196 BC. The text appears in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script, and...

Civilization

Ancient Egypt

Dynastic civilization along the Nile from early unification through the Ptolemaic period.

Figure

Pierre-François Bouchard

French officer of engineers in Napoleon's Egyptian campaign who, on 15 July 1799, recognized the significance of a stone uncovered during fortification work at Fort Julien near Rosetta — the Rosetta S...

Place Modern

Rosetta

A port city in the Nile Delta of Egypt (modern Rashid), where the Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799.

Figure Old Kingdom

Khufu

Khufu succeeded his father, Sneferu, and ruled Egypt in the 26th century BCE. His reign is characterized by significant architectural achievements, including the construction of the Great Pyramid. Des...

Place Old Kingdom

Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza, an emblem of ancient Egypt, stands as the oldest and largest pyramid within the Giza pyramid complex. Constructed during the Old Kingdom era, it is a testament to the advanc...

Place Ancient

Greece

Ancient Greece, flourishing from the 8th to the 1st century BCE, was a cradle of Western civilization, known for its diverse city-states or polis, each with distinct governance and cultures. This peri...

Place Ancient

Egypt

Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. This civilization emerged around 310...