The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 at Rashid in the Nile delta area during a military construction project. Apparently, the stone had been incorporated into a much older structure which was demolished to make way for new construction. It contains copies of a decree in honour of Ptolemy V. Epiphanes passed by the priests of Egypt assembled at Memphis around 196BC, thus constituting an early publication of sorts. The inscription is duplicated in Egyptian hieroglyphic and demotic characters, and in Greek, and was a key in the decipherment of ancient Egyptian writing. Currently in the British Museum, London England.