Here is a mystery: for hundreds of years, NOBODY could read hieroglyphics. The last people who knew how had died long ago. Egypt's walls were covered in messages no one could understand. It was like a giant locked treasure chest with no key!
Then, in 1799, soldiers digging near a town called Rosetta in Egypt found a big black stone. The Rosetta Stone had the SAME message written three ways: in hieroglyphics, in another Egyptian script, and in Greek. And people could still read Greek!
A clever French scholar named Jean-François Champollion studied the stone for years. In 1822, he cracked the code! Thanks to the Rosetta Stone, historians can now read the words of ancient Egypt — their stories, prayers, and even their jokes.
1. Why couldn't anyone read hieroglyphics for hundreds of years?
2. What made the Rosetta Stone so special?
3. Who cracked the code, and how did the Greek writing help?
Number these events 1 to 4 in the order they happened.
| Event | Order (1–4) |
|---|---|
| Champollion cracks the code in 1822 | |
| Ancient Egyptians write in hieroglyphics | |
| Soldiers find the Rosetta Stone in 1799 | |
| Everyone forgets how to read hieroglyphics |
1. The famous stone was found near a town called .
2. The stone had the same message written ways.
3. People could still read the writing on the stone.
4. was the scholar who solved the mystery.
5. He cracked the of hieroglyphics in 1822.
Secret code: ★ = A, ☾ = E, ♦ = L, ☀ = N, ♥ = I, ● = C, ▲ = T.
Now decode this word: ★ ☀ ● ♥ ☾ ☀ ▲ → write your answer on the line below!
You just did what Champollion did — you used a key to crack a code!
| Code | Your answer |
|---|---|
| ★ ☀ ● ♥ ☾ ☀ ▲ | |
| ▲ ★ ♦ ☾ |
1. Why was cracking the hieroglyphic code so important for historians?
2. How do you think Champollion felt the day he solved it?