The Rosetta Stone: and the Rebirth of Ancient Egypt

(Paperback, Main)

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What does the Rosetta Stone tell us about the past What treasures of Egyptian literature can now be read, thanks to its decipherment What does it tell us about the history of writing and the story of our own alphabets How do decipherments work and how can we know if they are right Who owns the Rosetta Stone and what happens if we start to return pieces of the past to countries who claim them These are some of the fascinating questions which are explored in this introduction to one of the true Wonders of the World.

Reviews

...successfully captures the West's fascination with Egypt. Always the master of his subject, he entertains rather than lectures, is sparing with minutiae but still finds space for telling detail. -- Anthony Sattin * Sunday Times *
Highly readable ...Professor Ray takes us on an ancient journey from this sunset of the ancient Egyptian world. * BBC History Magazine *

Author Bio

John Ray is a Professor of Egyptology at Cambridge and a fellow of the British Academy. His Reflections of Osiris: Lives from Ancient Egypt is also published by Profile.