logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
58m 53s

The Rosetta Stone

NOISER
About this episode
In 1799, French soldiers in Egypt unearthed what would become one of the world’s most famous artefacts. After a desperate race to decipher its symbols, the Rosetta Stone provided the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs, casting new light on the culture and history of this lost civilisation. But why was the Rosetta Stone made in the first place? How did ... Show More
Up next
Mar 2025
Genghis Khan and the Mongols, Part 1 of 2
We're in the Mongol lands of Central Asia in the late 1100s. This is a place of nomadic warriors, a region divided between tribes. But one man will emerge to unite them. Armed with the greatest military mind of his age, he will lead the Mongol peoples far beyond their own borders ... Show More
55m 14s
Mar 2025
Genghis Khan and the Mongols, Part 2 of 2
The leader brings reforms to his newly unified Mongol nation. The man formerly known as Temüjin will now conquer an empire bigger than any before in recorded history. But what are the innovations that underpin his supremacy? And how will history judge him - as a cruel tyrant, or ... Show More
53m 29s
Mar 2025
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is one of the architectural wonders of the world. Stretching for over 21,000km - as far as London to New York and back, twice - it follows what used to be the border between China and Mongolia. Built over a period of 2,000 years by millions of conscripted ... Show More
53m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2022
The Rosetta Stone
In 1799, French soldiers in Egypt unearthed what would become one of the world’s most famous artefacts. After a desperate race to decipher its symbols, the Rosetta Stone provided the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs, casting new light on the culture and history of this l ... Show More
58m 55s
Jun 2024
The Rosetta Stone
<p>In 1798, the young French General Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. After successfully taking Alexandria, he ordered the reconstruction of a fort at the nearby city of Rosetta. As his soldiers did the back-breaking work of digging fortifications in the blazing sun, they uncove ... Show More
25m 57s
Jul 2021
The Hunt for Hieroglyphs
July 15, 1799 (approximately). In the town of Rashid on the Nile Delta, French soldiers and Egyptian laborers are rebuilding an old, falling-down fort, when someone spots something unusual. It’s a jagged black rock, inscribed with what looks like three different types of writing. ... Show More
30m 57s
Feb 2024
Cracking the Code: The Rosetta Stone Story
Unlock the secrets of ancient communication in this fascinating podcast episode delving into the history of the Rosetta Stone. Journey back in time to Egypt's Ptolemaic era, where the stone served as a pivotal key to deciphering hieroglyphs. Explore the story behind its discovery ... Show More
8m 10s
Feb 2021
The Rosetta Stone
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most famous museum objects in the world, shown in the image above in replica, and dating from around 196 BC. It is a damaged, dark granite block on which you can faintly see three scripts engraved: Greek at the bottom, Demotic in the mid ... Show More
47m 2s
Feb 2021
The Rosetta Stone
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most famous museum objects in the world, shown in the image above in replica, and dating from around 196 BC. It is a damaged, dark granite block on which you can faintly see three scripts engraved: Greek at the bottom, Demotic in the mid ... Show More
47m 2s
Aug 2020
SYSK Selects: How the Rosetta Stone Works
<p>Sometimes providence smiles on historians. Thus is the case with the Rosetta stone, an ancient Egyptian tablet that served as the key for unlocking hieroglyphics, lost to time for a millennia. In this classic episode, learn about the international intrigue, rivalry to translat ... Show More
37m 22s
Jun 2021
The Rosetta Stone
How the famous piece of rock became the key to decoding Egyptian hieroglyphs. 
6m 18s
Oct 2022
Is it time for Britain to return the Rosetta Stone?
More than 200 years ago French soldiers uncovered a slab of granite in the Nile Delta which became the key to understanding the history of ancient Egypt. The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with ancient Egyptian and Greek text, and hieroglyphs. Before it was translated, no-one realise ... Show More
24m 47s
Jan 2022
The Rosetta Stone
<p>In this week's episode of Accessible Art History: The Podcast: Unearthed, I'm discussing the incredible story of the Rosetta Stone!</p> <p>For images and sources: <a href="https://www.accessiblearthistory.com/post/podcast-episode-62-the-rosetta-stone"><u>https://www.accessible ... Show More
12m 28s