Rosetta Stone (1799): How Hieroglyphs Were Finally Read

The Rosetta Stone (1799): how a dark slab found in a French fort in Egypt let scholars finally read hieroglyphs after about 1,400 years of silence. In July 1799, soldiers pulled down an old wall at Fort Julien near Rosetta and uncovered a slab carved in three scripts. This animated history follows the object itself: the find, the capture by British forces in 1801, the journey to London, and the 23-year race that ended with Champollion's breakthrough in September 1822. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN What is the Rosetta Stone? A priestly decree of 196 BC for Ptolemy V, carved in hieroglyphs, Demotic and Greek. Who found the Rosetta Stone, and when was it found? July 1799, at Fort Julien near Rosetta; Pierre Bouchard is usually credited with recognising it. Why is the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum? It passed to Britain under the 1801 surrender of Alexandria. How was the Rosetta Stone deciphered? Greek first, then Akerblad and de Sacy on Demotic, Thomas Young on name rings, and Champollion on sounds. CHAPTERS 0:00 The slab in the wall at Fort Julien (July 1799) 0:55 How hieroglyphs were forgotten 1:39 Who found the Rosetta Stone: Napoleon's army in Egypt 2:27 Copies of the Rosetta Stone reach Europe 2:59 Why the Rosetta Stone went to Britain: 1801 3:41 Portsmouth to the British Museum (1802) 4:15 What the Rosetta Stone says: Ptolemy V's decree 5:09 Decoding Demotic: Akerblad and de Sacy 5:37 Thomas Young and the name Ptolemy 6:28 Champollion and the Philae obelisk 7:13 How hieroglyphs were deciphered (September 1822) 8:20 Where is the Rosetta Stone now? SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Richard Parkinson, The Rosetta Stone (British Museum Press, 2005) Andrew Robinson, Cracking the Egyptian Code: The Revolutionary Life of Jean-Francois Champollion (OUP, 2012), and his OUPblog article "Who really deciphered the Egyptian Hieroglyphs?" Mark Cartwright, "Rosetta Stone", World History Encyclopedia Fondation Napoleon, "The Rosetta Stone: A Journey from Alexandria to London" Linda Hall Library, "William John Bankes" A NOTE ON DISPUTED DETAILS Sources differ on the day of the find (15 or 19 July 1799), on exactly how the stone passed to British hands in 1801 (two accounts), and on the year Champollion began serious work (1820 or 1821). The famous fainting scene of 14 September 1822 is a story handled with care. The narration says where sources disagree. CREDITS Script researched and written for this channel. Illustrations generated with AI (Agnes AI). Narration is an AI voice (Deepgram). Music and sound effects are synthesized. Which part surprised you most? Tell me in the comments, and subscribe for more animated history. #RosettaStone #AncientEgypt #History