Who: We don't know who made the Rosetta Stone, but we do know who deciphered it. Two scholars, one French, Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832), and one English, Thomas Young (1773–1829), worked to crack the code, helping us to uncover what life was like in Africa's most famous and most enthralling civilisation.
What: A blockbuster exhibition in the British Museum, including, among much more: the Rosetta Stone; a cartonnage mummy case; numerous items with hieroglyphs, actually used in the 19th century to help decipher the script; and scarabs.
When: Until 19 February, 10:00–17:00 (M,T,W,T,S,S), 10:00-20:30 (F) — booking in advance is strongly recommended for non-members.
Where: The British Museum (Room 30, The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery).
Why: To learn about the decipherment of hieroglyphs and the people behind the pivotal moment — this is less a study of ancient Egypt than of 19th-century Europe! The exhibition also provides an opportunity to see the famous Rosetta Stone without its usual crowd of tourists.
How: You can book tickets for the exhibition here: britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/hieroglyphs-unlocking-ancient-egypt. If you are unable to visit the exhibition (or you really enjoyed it), then you can purchase the corresponding book (amazon.co.uk/dp/0714191280), buy other items from the exhibition shop (britishmuseumshoponline.org/exhibitions/hieroglyphs-unlocking-ancient-egypt.html), or watch a series of online events about the exhibition and its contents (youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHcErFdjbqlxRpIaW41PdsWhRZ2hT8CeD).
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