What crucial discovery in July 1799 enabled Jean-François Champollion to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script in 1822?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. The Rosetta Stone (Rashid Stone)
- Step 1: French soldiers uncovered the granodiorite stela at Fort Julien near Rosetta (Rashid) during Napoleon's campaign.
- Step 2: It bears a decree of Ptolemy V inscribed in three parallel scripts: Ancient Hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Ancient Greek.
- Step 3: Champollion matched royal names (Ptolemy, Cleopatra) in Greek and hieroglyphic cartouches to crack the phonetic system.
Answer
The Rosetta Stone (Rashid Stone).
Why not the others: 'Turin Canon' is a damaged king-list papyrus; 'Abydos List' is a chronological temple relief; 'Narmer Palette' commemorates unifications c. 3100 BCE.
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