What artifact, found in Egypt, included inscriptions in three scripts that allowed scholars to translate hieroglyphs?

What artifact, found in Egypt, included inscriptions in three scripts that allowed scholars to translate hieroglyphs?

• A. Rosetta Stone
• B. Code of Hammurabi
• C. Dead Sea Scrolls
• D. Mask of Tutankhamun

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how a single artifact provided the missing link to read ancient Egyptian writing. The Rosetta Stone, found in Egypt and dating from the Ptolemaic period, bears inscriptions in three scripts: Greek, Demotic, and hieroglyphic. Because the Greek text could be read, scholars could work out how the symbols in the other two scripts corresponded to sounds and words. This breakthrough let Jean-François Champollion unlock hieroglyphs in the early 19th century, opening up vast knowledge about ancient Egyptian language, history, religion, and daily life. The other items listed don’t fit this specific function: the Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian law code inscribed in cuneiform, not a translation key for Egyptian hieroglyphs; the Dead Sea Scrolls are Jewish texts primarily in Hebrew and Aramaic; the Mask of Tutankhamun is an Egyptian tomb artifact with hieroglyphs but not a three-script translation tool.

The key idea here is how a single artifact provided the missing link to read ancient Egyptian writing. The Rosetta Stone, found in Egypt and dating from the Ptolemaic period, bears inscriptions in three scripts: Greek, Demotic, and hieroglyphic. Because the Greek text could be read, scholars could work out how the symbols in the other two scripts corresponded to sounds and words. This breakthrough let Jean-François Champollion unlock hieroglyphs in the early 19th century, opening up vast knowledge about ancient Egyptian language, history, religion, and daily life. The other items listed don’t fit this specific function: the Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian law code inscribed in cuneiform, not a translation key for Egyptian hieroglyphs; the Dead Sea Scrolls are Jewish texts primarily in Hebrew and Aramaic; the Mask of Tutankhamun is an Egyptian tomb artifact with hieroglyphs but not a three-script translation tool.