Call Indiana Jones: these discoveries belong in a museum. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the greatest archaeological finds in modern human history. .
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00:00Jean-Francois Champollion in France and Thomas Young in Britain both believed that the Rosetta
00:06Stone, as it was called, held the key to deciphering hieroglyphs.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the greatest archaeological
00:15finds in modern human history.
00:17Call Indiana Jones.
00:19These discoveries belong in a museum.
00:21Inscribed on crumbling clay tablets was a 4,000-year-old story, so riveting, the first
00:28person to translate it started stripping from excitement.
00:34Number 30.
00:35Suontaka Grave.
00:37In 1968, a construction crew from Suontaka Vesitorninmäki in Finland was working on
00:43water pipes when they stumbled upon an archaeological marvel.
00:46They found a warrior's grave dating back almost 1,000 years.
00:50There were numerous artifacts buried with the warrior, including a sword and women's
00:55jewelry.
00:56He was laid on a blanket of feathers, wearing women's clothes.
01:00For decades, it was assumed that it was the grave of a warrior woman.
01:04Recent DNA tests have revealed something much more nuanced.
01:07The Suontaka warrior had Klinefelter syndrome, meaning they had both an extra X chromosome
01:12and a Y chromosome.
01:14This warrior was likely non-binary and was clearly an honored member of their community.
01:20Number 29.
01:21The Staffordshire Horde.
01:29Metal detector enthusiasts around the world received a glowing endorsement for their hobby
01:33in 2009.
01:35Terry Herbert was exploring a field in Staffordshire, England when he stumbled upon the largest horde
01:40of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found.
01:51Over 3,500 items were discovered, primarily military artifacts such as sword fittings,
01:57helmet fragments, and jewelry.
01:59This one discovery brought historians more than 60% of Anglo-Saxon artifacts currently
02:04in existence today.
02:06Its discovery completely reshaped our current understanding of Anglo-Saxon culture, both
02:11in terms of early Christianity and Anglo-Saxon armies.
02:14The sheer quantity of items, primarily martial in nature, suggested a previously underestimated
02:20level of wealth and status among the Anglo-Saxon elite.
02:34Number 28.
02:35The Gold Mask at Sanxingdui.
02:44The Gold Mask of Sanxingdui was discovered in 2021 during the excavation of two sacrificial
02:50pits in Sichuan, China.
02:52This incredible artifact, dating back to around 1200 BCE, is estimated to be over 80% pure
02:58gold.
02:59It was likely used either as a facial covering during ritual sacrifice or as a burial mask.
03:05Scientifically, the mask provides insights into the advanced metallurgical techniques
03:09and cultural practices of the ancient Shuhan Kingdom.
03:13It underscores the complexity and diversity of early Chinese civilizations, challenging
03:18established narratives and expanding our understanding of ancient cultural development in the region.
03:31Number 27.
03:32The Benin Bronzes.
03:41The Benin Bronzes weren't so much discovered as they were plundered.
03:45During an 1897 punitive expedition to the Kingdom of Benin, the British army stole over
03:505,000 figurines, tablets, carved tusks, and ancient sculptures.
03:55Some artifacts date as far back as the 13th century.
03:58They represent centuries' worth of the cultural, religious, and history of modern-day Nigeria.
04:11The bronzes spent a century shuffling around European collections.
04:17The metallurgical techniques were impressive, and as records of Benin's sophisticated civilization,
04:22the bronzes are priceless.
04:24Ongoing efforts persist to return these culturally significant artifacts to Nigeria from British
04:29and other Western institutions.
04:31Today, the Benin bronzes are the face of a broader movement to address historical injustices
04:37and restore cultural heritage to former colonies.
04:39There's a widespread recognition in the museum sector and beyond that these artifacts should
04:44be returned to Benin City.
04:46Number 26.
04:47The Neolithic City of Ximao.
04:50The city of Ximao was initially discovered in 1976 in Shanxi, China.
04:54At first, it was mistaken for a small settlement, potentially even a segment of the Great Wall.
05:0035 years later, excavations revealed the ruins of a vast and ancient city dating back to
05:05around 2300 to 1800 BCE.
05:09So when we came to this part of the palace, we found a lot of mural paintings.
05:17But because the wall collapsed, a lot of the mural paintings were falling on the ground.
05:23Covering 4 square kilometers, or roughly 1.5 square miles, Ximao has a shockingly complex
05:29layout for the period, as well as impressive stone wall fortifications.
05:33This is maybe one of the earliest such city layout that we have discovered in China.
05:41Thousands of artifacts have been discovered in the ruins, as has a 230-foot-high pyramid,
05:46the former home of Ximao's ruling caste.
05:49Ximao's discovery has revolutionized our understanding of the development of early Chinese civilization.
05:54Its advanced architecture, evident social complexity, and artistic achievements provide
05:58crucial insights into the urbanization of subsequent civilizations in the region.
06:0325.
06:04Homo Naledi in Rising Star Cave
06:12A team of scientists led by famed paleoanthropologist Lee Berger entered Rising Star Cave in South
06:18Africa in 2013.
06:20When they exited, they brought a major find with them, out into the light of day for the
06:24first time in hundreds of thousands of years.
06:28In a remote chamber, scientists found a horde of hominin fossils that challenged their understanding
06:33of human evolution.
06:34The fossils, dating to about 335 to 236,000 years ago, were of a previously unknown species
06:42with a mix of primitive and modern traits.
06:45Deemed Homo Naledi, this new species indicated the coexistence of multiple hominin species.
06:50The find has profound implications for the study of human ancestry.
06:54This distant cousin of modern humans also lived alongside our ancient ancestors.
06:59All of those are going to have profound impact, not just on our study of Homo Naledi, but
07:05on our view of ourselves in nature.
07:0924.
07:10Derinkuyu
07:11The discovery of the world's largest underground city Derinkuyu happened by complete accident.
07:16In 1963, a Turkish citizen in Anatolia discovered a hidden room behind his basement wall after
07:22his chickens kept vanishing.
07:24This triggered an excavation of the area to reveal the hidden city that is a thousand
07:28years old.
07:29Subsequent explorations revealed an extensive multi-level complex, extending over 85 meters
07:35or 280 feet deep, capable of housing thousands of people.
07:40Dating back to at least the 8th century BCE, Derinkuyu features ventilation shafts, storage
07:45rooms, chapels, and living quarters.
07:48The complex's main purpose appears to have been a shelter for citizens during raids.
07:52This discovery shed light on ancient engineering and urban planning.
07:56Its ancient citizens clearly developed sophisticated emergency management plans for surviving disasters.
08:02The Cappadocia region is known for subterranean safe havens, and it's speculated that Derinkuyu
08:08may have connected many of them.
08:09Derinkuyu offered invaluable insights into the daily life, culture, and defensive strategies
08:14of early Turkish civilizations.
08:1723.
08:18Aztec Calendar Stone
08:20The Piedra del Sol, or Aztec Sun Stone, was discovered in 1790 during repairs on the Mexico
08:26City Cathedral.
08:27This massive monolithic sculpture, dating to the late 15th century, acted both as a
08:32calendar and a cosmological map.
08:34Both served as central pillars of Aztec culture.
08:37Its intricate carving stone depict the sun god Tonatiuh, surrounded by symbols representing
08:42cosmic cycles and deities.
08:44The sun stone's discovery provided crucial insights into Aztec astronomy, religious beliefs,
08:50and timekeeping.
08:51It's become an iconic representation of Mesoamerican civilization.
08:54It is the epitome of the Aztecs' advanced knowledge and the centrality of the sun in
08:58their religious practices.
09:0022.
09:02Neanderthal Genome in Vindia Cave
09:05The Neanderthal genome was essentially discovered thanks to the discovery of 38,000-year-old
09:10remains found in Vindia, Croatia.
09:12Analysis of the bones began in 1997 when scientists first extracted DNA.
09:17It marked the first successful recovery of Neanderthal genetic material ever.
09:22As technology advanced, so did our understanding of genetics.
09:26By 2010, the entire genome of Neanderthal DNA was sequenced.
09:31This groundbreaking work revealed that Neanderthals interbred with early modern humans, contributing
09:361 to 4 percent of non-African human DNA today.
09:40The discovery significantly advanced our understanding of human evolution.
09:44Over the past about 10 years or so, there's been a revolution in our ability to read DNA
09:49from ancient fossils.
09:52And this has revealed some amazing things about recent human evolutionary history.
09:56The sequencing shed light on our shared ancestry, genetic diversity, and the adaptive traits
10:01humans have inherited from Neanderthals.
10:03Those traits still influence modern human biology and health today.
10:08And it's a diverse array of traits.
10:10There's also traits involved in the immune system, traits involved in our skin, but also
10:14traits, psychiatric traits.
10:16Number 21.
10:18The Easter Island Moai.
10:20The Moai are a collection of over 1,000 massive stone statues located on Easter Island far
10:25off the coast of Chile.
10:27They were first recorded by European explorers in 1722 when Dutch navigator Jacob Rochefink
10:33arrived.
10:34Subsequent visits by explorers, including English captain James Cook, sparked international
10:39The statues were carved and placed by the Rapa Nui people between 1400 and 1650.
10:45The enormous heads that dot the landscape are the lasting legacy of this ancient society.
10:50They are believed to be physical representations of their ancestors, holding spiritual significance.
10:56They are an engineering wonder, averaging 14 tons apiece.
11:00The effort to construct these monuments and move them around the island must have been
11:05considerable.
11:07But no one knows exactly why the Rapa Nui people undertook such a task.
11:11Their discovery highlighted the complexities of isolated human societies and the impacts
11:16of environmental challenges on human civilization.
11:19Preserving the statues has become an international project as Easter Island is under grave threat
11:24from climate change.
11:26Number 20.
11:27Gobekli Tepe.
11:28While this site was first noted in 1963, its importance wasn't recognized until decades
11:34later.
11:35In the mid-90s, German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt realized that the stone slabs in the
11:40area were the tops of prehistoric megaliths and began excavating.
11:45During the intensive dig, Schmidt and his team begin to unearth dozens of additional
11:51giant stone monoliths covered in intricate carvings.
11:55Some weigh as much as 20 tons.
11:58What he unearthed was a site of massive circular structures on stone pillars dating all the
12:03way back to the Neolithic period.
12:05The megaliths at Gobekli Tepe are the world's oldest, erected as early as 9500 BCE.
12:13No one really knows what the site was used for, but the carved reliefs provide glimpses
12:17into prehistoric religious practices.
12:19Gobekli is a beautiful story.
12:21It was the first temple in the world, the birthplace of religion.
12:25It carries with it a certain mysticism that sparks the question, why?
12:29What we do know is that Gobekli Tepe is one of the world's oldest human settlements,
12:34marking the transition from nomadic lifestyles to permanent habitation.
12:39Number 19.
12:40The Oldest Footprints in North America
12:43In 2018, human footprints were found in British Columbia, Canada that dated back about 13,000
12:50years.
12:51At the time, these were the oldest footprints discovered in North America.
12:56But just a few years later in 2021, that record was shattered.
13:01The footprints show how humans coexisted with large, wild animals.
13:06Many are of children and reveal a story about everyday life and play.
13:12Archaeologists working in New Mexico's White Sands National Park unearthed tracks that
13:16are between 21,000 and 23,000 years old.
13:20Not only does this almost double the record for oldest footprint in North America, it
13:25also completely restructures our understanding of early North American settlement.
13:29The new footprint suggests humans came before the ice-blocked migration and came to the
13:35southwestern U.S. up to 23,000 years ago.
13:38Prior to this game-changing discovery, most experts dated the continent's earliest habitation
13:43to between 11,000 and 13,000 years ago.
13:46Number 18.
13:47Richard III's Grave
13:49This controversial figure ruled as King of England and Lord of Ireland until 1485, when
13:55he died in the Battle of Bosworth Field.
13:58With his death, the Wars of the Roses came to an end, and with it, the Middle Ages in
14:03England.
14:04His reign was later immortalized in Shakespeare's eponymous play.
14:10Following Richard III's death, his corpse was quickly buried and lost to time.
14:28Until 2012.
14:30That year, researchers discovered the foundations of a medieval church underneath a modern parking
14:35lot, and it was there that they found the skeleton of Richard III.
14:40After more than five centuries, we had finally
14:55found one of England's most notorious rulers.
14:58Number 17.
15:00Madaba Map
15:01In the late 19th century, construction began on a new Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's
15:06capital city of Madaba.
15:08While building the new structure, workers unearthed an ancient mosaic on the floor of
15:12the existing church.
15:24This mosaic is now known as the Madaba Map, and it shows parts of the Middle East.
15:29Dating to the 6th century, the map contains the oldest known depiction of both Jerusalem
15:34and the Holy Land.
15:36Not only that, but it was used extensively to locate sites mentioned in the Bible, and
15:41it is currently the oldest geographic floor mosaic in the world.
15:59Number 16.
16:00The Serapion of Alexandria
16:02Serving as the greatest library of its age, the Library of Alexandria attracted scholars
16:07to Egypt and served as the ancient world's symbol of knowledge.
16:20It proved so popular that a so-called daughter library was later created called the Serapion
16:25of Alexandria.
16:26The Serapion lasted a bit longer than its famous father, and it was finally destroyed
16:30in the year 391.
16:32The site later became a Muslim cemetery.
16:35In the mid-1940s, the foundations of the Serapion were discovered, and with it, one
16:40of the greatest centers of learning in human history was unearthed.
16:44Number 15.
16:45Knossos
16:46Found on the Greek island of Crete, Knossos is often regarded as the oldest city in Europe.
16:52And that's saying something.
16:53Featuring a massive and world-renowned palace complex, Knossos was the primary capital of
16:59the ancient Minoan civilization, which inhabited both Crete and other Aegean islands.
17:13The civilization prospered from about 3500 BCE to 1100 BCE, but it's believed that Knossos
17:19had been inhabited since the Neolithic period.
17:23An amateur archaeologist named Minos Kalokirinos discovered the location of Knossos in 1878,
17:29and the ancient site was unearthed by Sir Arthur Evans throughout much of the early
17:331900s.
17:48Number 14.
17:50Oetzi
17:51Just imagine mountaineering through the Alps when you stumble across an ancient human corpse
17:55embedded in a glacier.
17:57This is exactly what happened to German tourists Helmut and Erika Siemen in September of 1991.
18:16They found what is now known as Oetzi the Iceman, a natural mummy dating to about 3230
18:23BCE.
18:24Oetzi is the oldest natural mummy in European history, having died about 5,000 years before
18:30he was found preserved in ice.
18:32Regardless, the body is in remarkable condition, considering its age, and it's provided researchers
18:38an incredible glimpse into Copper Age Europeans and their lifestyles.
18:53Number 13.
18:54Mohenjo-Daro
18:55A large human settlement dating to 2500 BCE, Mohenjo-Daro is one of the oldest cities in
19:02the world.
19:03Located in modern-day Pakistan, Mohenjo-Daro was one of the most ambitious cities of its
19:08Complete with street grids, a sewage system, and many other ingenious feats of engineering,
19:12the city of Mohenjo-Daro rivaled the ancient civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia.
19:19Archaeologists believe that over 35,000 people once occupied the city.
19:24It was a remarkable settlement that showcased the creativity and boundless imagination of
19:29humanity.
19:30Unfortunately, Mohenjo-Daro was completely abandoned around 1900 BCE, as the local Indus
19:36civilization went into a decline.
19:38It remained lost to time until the 1920s, when an officer of the Archaeological Survey
19:43of India located the ancient city.
19:4560 years after its discovery, Mohenjo-Daro was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
20:00Number 12.
20:01Antikythera Mechanism
20:13This mysterious object was found submerged in Grecian waters at the turn of the 20th
20:17century, located inside an ancient shipwreck.
20:20The strange device was already 2,000 years old when it was found, and despite being eroded
20:25by the sea for all that time, it was still eventually identified as the world's oldest
20:30computer.
20:32It was finally another century after its discovery, and we now know definitively what it did.
20:37It was a device used to chart the positions of celestial bodies so that the ancient Greeks
20:41knew when eclipses would happen.
20:53It took a 3D reconstruction of the entire device in 2021 to get a better understanding
20:59of how it worked, though its purpose was suspected for decades.
21:03Number 11.
21:04Troy
21:05For centuries, historians debated not only whether the Trojan War actually happened,
21:10but also whether the lost city of Troy ever existed at all.
21:27The Trojan War is the focus of one of ancient Greece's most famous epic poems, Homer's
21:32Iliad, and legendary Greek heroes like Achilles and Odysseus fought in it.
21:37But Troy's location became lost knowledge.
21:41Throughout the 1800s, many researchers argued that Hisarlik, a site in western Turkey was
21:46probably the elusive city.
21:56Only after decades of debate, experts came to a consensus that yes, Hisarlik is in all
22:01likelihood Troy.
22:02Unfortunately, we've yet to find conclusive evidence that the Trojan horse existed, but
22:08Troy's identification was hugely important for historians.
22:32Number 10.
22:33Tutankhamun's Tomb
22:34Tutankhamun's burial chamber is filled with magical decoration, but beside it, the rest
22:40of the tomb is left bare.
22:43This simple tomb is unlike any other royal tomb in the valley.
22:48The Valley of the Kings is the final resting place of many ancient Egyptian pharaohs, but
22:53throughout its history, a number of tombs have fallen victim to grave robbers.
23:12Tutankhamun's tomb was different.
23:14Remarkably, though grave robbers did break in shortly after it was initially sealed up,
23:19Most of its contents were intact when archaeologists found it in 1922.
23:29In the burial chamber, the pharaoh's mummy, wearing a golden death mask, was placed inside
23:35a coffin made of more than 200 pounds of solid gold.
23:40Today, Tutankhamun's gilded mask makes him arguably the most famous and recognizable
23:45pharaoh in history.
23:46Considering Tutankhamun only reigned for about 10 years and died between the young
23:50ages of 18 and 19, that is quite the legacy.
24:08Along with the mask, the tomb also contained a statue of Anubis, the god of the dead, and
24:12a dagger made from a fallen meteor.
24:159.
24:16Sutton Hoo
24:17One of the most remarkable medieval graves anywhere in Europe was excavated in England
24:22in 1939.
24:41The owner of an estate in Suffolk, Edith Priddy, enlisted some archaeologists to find
24:45out what was underneath the burial mounds on her property.
24:48What they uncovered was astounding.
24:51So much so that the story inspired a 2021 film, The Dig.
25:10The most promising mound contained an entire long ship and innumerable artifacts, including
25:16pieces of armor made of gold and other Anglo-Saxon relics.
25:19Though it's one of the UK's most impressive archaeological discoveries, it's still not
25:24entirely clear whose grave it actually is.
25:26Shortly after the inquest which ruled that all the items found in the Sutton Hoo burial
25:30mound lawfully belonged to Edith Priddy, Priddy donated the entire collection to the British
25:36Museum.
25:37It's among the most valuable donations of its kind, and the collection itself remains
25:41at the heart of the museum.
25:43Most evidence suggests it was the final resting place of a famous East Anglian king, Redwald,
25:48who ruled the region around 1400 years ago.
25:528.
25:53Aldevai Gorge
25:54This isn't one specific archaeological location, but an entire locality housing some of the
25:59most important works relating to paleoanthropology, or the study of early humans.
26:04Located in the northeast corner of Tanzania, Aldevai Gorge has been invaluable in our
26:09understanding of early human culture and evolution.
26:20Researchers have unearthed ancient stone tools and hominid fossils.
26:24Occupation of the site is believed to stretch back nearly 2 million years, when it was inhabited
26:29by an archaic human species called Homo habilis.
26:41Without Aldevai Gorge and its riches of archaeological material, our understanding of archaic humans
26:47would be much more limited.
26:487.
26:49The Cave of Altamira
26:51If you're interested in early humanity, then you cannot go wrong with the Cave of Altamira.
26:59It was built right next to the cave, where the original cave paintings, dating back to
27:05the Paleolithic era, were discovered.
27:08The original cave has been closed to preserve its archaeologically important remains.
27:15Archaeology has uncovered many notable caves relating to ancient humanity, including Lascaux
27:19and another in the small Spanish town of Artales.
27:22But nothing beats Altamira.
27:25Also located in Spain, this cave houses numerous prehistoric drawings and paintings, most of
27:30which depict local animals.
27:32After the site was discovered in 1868, the suggestion that the paintings were prehistoric
27:36was met with some skepticism, not only owing to the nature of the drawings but also because
27:41no other prehistoric cave art was known to exist in Europe.
27:58But the research eventually prevailed, and it's now believed that the paintings are around
28:0236,000 years old.
28:056.
28:06The Terracotta Army
28:08This is one of the most significant archaeological finds of all time, and it was discovered completely
28:14by accident.
28:33The Terracotta Army was first uncovered in the Shanxi province of western China by a
28:37group of farmers in the 1970s.
28:40The army resides within a tomb constructed over 2,200 years ago as the resting place
28:45of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, which is why it's so elaborate.
29:06In the parts we've been able to excavate, there are over 8,000 soldiers made out of
29:10clay, there to guard Emperor Qin in the afterlife.
29:24But even more astonishing is the fact that the entire necropolis is believed to be almost
29:2840 square miles in size, with most of the site hidden in vaults that aren't yet accessible.
29:345.
29:35The Dead Sea Scrolls
29:36Written mostly in Hebrew, the Dead Sea Scrolls are some of the oldest Abrahamic religious
29:41texts in existence.
29:43A young shepherd is herding goats in Qumran near the Dead Sea.
29:47Passing a cave, he throws a stone to scare a wayward animal back to the flock.
29:52And hears something shatter.
29:57Curious he enters the cavern and discovers ten clay jars.
30:04They were discovered in a cave in the West Bank in the mid-1940s.
30:10But in the decades since, we've continually found more and more scrolls ready to be translated
30:15in a handful of additional caves.
30:26The scrolls are so significant because they've allowed historians and theologians to chart
30:30the development of the Bible much more accurately.
30:33And provided new information about the dawn of Christianity thousands of years ago, as
30:37well as the history of Judaism and the Holy Land.
30:50They are unquantifiably important, and still have a lot to teach us.
31:044.
31:05Pompeii
31:06Among the most famous ruins in the world, Pompeii was destroyed by a devastating eruption
31:11from Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 AD.
31:15The village was left forgotten until the 16th century.
31:18Over 1,500 years later, because it had been completely buried underneath volcanic ash.
31:35But that ash kept Pompeii largely intact when it was finally excavated, with people frozen
31:41in place where they died during the disaster.
31:55Today, it's one of Italy's most popular tourist attractions and a tremendous source of Roman
32:00history.
32:01As tragic as the story is, Pompeii has taught us more about Roman life than many other ancient
32:07archaeology sites anywhere in the world.
32:163.
32:17The Library of Ashurbanipal
32:20Famous writer H.G.
32:21Wells once called the Library of Ashurbanipal, quote, the most precious source of historical
32:25material in the world, and he wasn't far off.
32:28English historian and traveler Austin Henry Layard found the ancient library in the remains
32:33of a palace in 1849.
32:35While the actual building had been destroyed, many of the library's old texts were still
32:40intact, though most were in fragments.
32:43It consisted of over 30,000 clay tablets, which provided an enormous wealth of information
32:48relating to ancient civilizations of the Middle East.
32:51The tablets date to the 7th century BCE.
32:54Perhaps the greatest find within the Library of Ashurbanipal was the Epic of Gilgamesh,
32:59which is widely considered to be the oldest piece of literature in human history.
33:152.
33:16Lucy
33:17Several famous fossils have revolutionized our view of early hominins.
33:22Discovered in 1924 in South Africa, the Tongue Child, a skull of an Australopithecus africanus,
33:28was described as, quote, the missing link between ape and human, although anthropologists
33:33initially resisted the idea that humans had evolved in Africa.
33:50Eclipsing the Tongue Child in renown is Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old remains of an Australopithecus
33:58afarensis.
33:59Unearthed in 1974 in Ethiopia, she was named after the Beatles' song, Lucy in the Sky
34:04with Diamonds, which the research team was playing on repeat.
34:08The completeness of her remains gave us much more information on the evolution of bipedalism
34:13and brain size.
34:29In 1994, Ardi, the skeleton of an Ardipithecus ramidus, thought to be 4.4 million years old,
34:36was also found in Ethiopia, becoming the most complete early hominid specimen ever discovered.
34:43The pelvis reconstruction has confirmed that Ardipithecus was bipedal, a major step forward
34:49in the investigation.
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35:07Number 1.
35:08The Rosetta Stone
35:09For centuries, archaeologists had absolutely no idea how to decipher ancient Egypt's complex
35:15hieroglyphics.
35:16Jean-Francois Champollion in France and Thomas Young in Britain both believed that the Rosetta
35:22Stone, as it was called, held the key to deciphering hieroglyphs.
35:28But the Rosetta Stone did not yield its secrets easily.
35:32Without a starting point, they were unable to understand the inscriptions on Egyptian
35:36monuments and artifacts.
35:37But that all changed with the discovery of the long-lost Rosetta Stone in 1799, an enormous
35:43slab of stone inscribed with everything needed to start translating.
35:54The text it contained wasn't actually all that interesting.
35:57But the same passage was written three times in different languages, and one of those languages
36:02was Ancient Greek.
36:17By using the Greek, which is still widely understood by researchers, we were able to
36:21decipher the hieroglyphics and unlock the secrets of ancient Egyptian writing.
36:26Are there any significant archaeological finds that we left buried to the sands of time?
36:30Let us know in the comments below!
37:00you