1 00:00:08,190 --> 00:00:13,025 NARRATOR: It was one of the greatest civilisations on earth, but its secrets lay hidden. 2 00:00:13,510 --> 00:00:15,501 All that was left of ancient Egypt 3 00:00:15,590 --> 00:00:19,060 were the crumbling remains of its stunning monuments. 4 00:00:20,190 --> 00:00:24,422 But why they were built and who built them remained a mystery. 5 00:00:35,830 --> 00:00:40,346 The answer surely lay here, in the sacred texts of the pharaohs, 6 00:00:40,430 --> 00:00:42,182 the hieroglyphs. 7 00:00:44,750 --> 00:00:48,629 For centuries, scholars had struggled to crack the code, 8 00:00:48,710 --> 00:00:50,666 all of them had failed. 9 00:00:56,750 --> 00:01:00,823 In the end it would take a war to help solve the mystery. 10 00:01:03,110 --> 00:01:07,661 On one side, Napoleon Bonaparte, the most feared warrior in Europe. 11 00:01:10,150 --> 00:01:13,142 On the other, the might of the British Empire. 12 00:01:15,550 --> 00:01:18,064 But long after the guns went silent, 13 00:01:18,150 --> 00:01:23,508 the battle over the hieroglyphs would rage on between two of Europe's most brilliant minds. 14 00:01:23,870 --> 00:01:27,943 From France, a poor country boy, a genius of language. 15 00:01:28,190 --> 00:01:29,305 Test me, go on. 16 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:31,665 - All right. Chair. - "Sey". 17 00:01:31,750 --> 00:01:33,024 - Table. - "Sotchee". 18 00:01:33,110 --> 00:01:34,384 - Bed. - "Loll". 19 00:01:34,470 --> 00:01:37,428 His name, Jean-Francois Champollion. 20 00:01:37,510 --> 00:01:40,070 If this is right, then so am I. 21 00:01:40,470 --> 00:01:44,179 And from England, the most brilliant mind of a generation. 22 00:01:45,190 --> 00:01:46,623 Where do you start? 23 00:01:46,710 --> 00:01:47,984 Mathematics. 24 00:01:48,070 --> 00:01:52,621 Urbane and rational, a celebrated scientist, Thomas Young. 25 00:01:52,830 --> 00:01:55,628 The heads must face the start of the word. 26 00:01:55,750 --> 00:01:58,025 That's how we know which way to read them. 27 00:02:02,270 --> 00:02:06,900 This was to be a duel with much more than just personal pride at stake. 28 00:02:07,670 --> 00:02:11,458 Remember, we cannot possibly let the French beat us to it. 29 00:02:11,550 --> 00:02:15,668 I shall translate the hieroglyphs. That'll be my revenge on those English barbarians. 30 00:02:15,990 --> 00:02:20,222 The most important clue was a stone covered in strange writing. 31 00:02:20,310 --> 00:02:23,382 Both men believed they could unlock its secrets. 32 00:02:23,510 --> 00:02:27,344 Here it is, the hieroglyph for priest. 33 00:02:27,990 --> 00:02:29,901 Ra-m-Ss. 34 00:02:31,550 --> 00:02:32,949 Ramesses! 35 00:02:33,750 --> 00:02:35,786 Only one of them would succeed. 36 00:02:52,990 --> 00:02:56,983 When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in 1798, 37 00:02:57,070 --> 00:02:59,709 he did more than just conquer a country. 38 00:02:59,790 --> 00:03:02,179 He uncovered a lost civilisation. 39 00:03:03,070 --> 00:03:06,779 Egypt had been virtually closed to Europeans for centuries, 40 00:03:06,910 --> 00:03:11,188 and when the French saw the pyramids of Giza, they were astonished. 41 00:03:12,990 --> 00:03:16,300 4,500 years after its construction, 42 00:03:16,390 --> 00:03:20,099 the Great Pyramid was still the tallest building in the world. 43 00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:24,868 Everything about this ancient culture seemed extraordinary. 44 00:03:39,270 --> 00:03:41,465 Over here, come and take a look at this. 45 00:03:49,910 --> 00:03:51,548 What do you think it is? 46 00:03:52,550 --> 00:03:55,018 Different scripts on one stone. 47 00:03:55,710 --> 00:03:57,621 Why would they do that? 48 00:04:00,750 --> 00:04:03,583 This is Greek, we can read this! 49 00:04:08,470 --> 00:04:11,143 NARRATOR: There were three inscriptions on the stone. 50 00:04:11,230 --> 00:04:14,825 The mysterious ancient hieroglyphs at the top, 51 00:04:14,910 --> 00:04:20,303 then another unknown text, and at the bottom, ancient Greek. 52 00:04:21,430 --> 00:04:23,819 This was a unique find. 53 00:04:23,910 --> 00:04:26,504 Although the first two texts were unreadable, 54 00:04:26,590 --> 00:04:30,549 Greek was a well-known language and could be easily translated. 55 00:04:40,150 --> 00:04:44,268 Along with his soldiers, Napoleon had taken an army of scholars 56 00:04:44,350 --> 00:04:47,023 to unravel Egypt's ancient culture, 57 00:04:47,150 --> 00:04:51,507 including antiquarians, artists and linguists. 58 00:04:59,910 --> 00:05:03,539 It says here that all three scripts are saying the same thing. 59 00:05:06,630 --> 00:05:11,021 NARRATOR: So, by translating the Greek, they would know what the hieroglyph said. 60 00:05:11,870 --> 00:05:16,148 But there were problems, and the first one was Horatio Nelson. 61 00:05:23,790 --> 00:05:27,066 At the Battle of the Nile in August 1798, 62 00:05:27,150 --> 00:05:31,541 Nelson had attacked the French fleet at Alexandria and ripped it to shreds, 63 00:05:33,030 --> 00:05:35,339 trapping the French in Egypt. 64 00:05:36,710 --> 00:05:41,625 After three years of siege, the British finally ran the French out of Egypt. 65 00:05:45,150 --> 00:05:49,985 Now, everything France had gained belonged to Britain and her allies. 66 00:05:57,390 --> 00:06:02,145 We agreed, General Menou, that your scientists may keep all their notes, drawings and papers, 67 00:06:02,270 --> 00:06:07,298 but I must make clear that the antiquities you have seized may not leave the country with you, 68 00:06:07,390 --> 00:06:09,062 and that includes the stone. 69 00:06:09,150 --> 00:06:11,300 Stone? What stone? 70 00:06:11,750 --> 00:06:13,149 That stone. 71 00:06:14,190 --> 00:06:20,425 No, I'm sorry. That particular stone doesn't belong to the Republic. It's mine, personally. 72 00:06:20,510 --> 00:06:22,546 I bought it from a local trader. 73 00:06:23,070 --> 00:06:25,709 Perhaps you could provide us with a bill of sale. 74 00:06:25,790 --> 00:06:26,905 Hm. 75 00:06:31,910 --> 00:06:36,028 NARRATOR: The French had, however, thought to make copies of the stone. 76 00:06:36,110 --> 00:06:40,581 Their finest linguists and code breakers in Paris were already trying to crack it. 77 00:06:44,630 --> 00:06:48,669 Most notably an academic called Silvestre de Sacy. 78 00:06:50,830 --> 00:06:53,060 But its meaning eluded him. 79 00:06:53,150 --> 00:06:57,223 As far as he could work out, the hieroglyphs were mystical symbols. 80 00:07:06,030 --> 00:07:12,060 But far away in the provinces, a child prodigy, Jean-Francois Champollion, was growing up. 81 00:07:12,750 --> 00:07:15,503 Although too poor for a privileged education, 82 00:07:15,630 --> 00:07:19,179 his elder brother encouraged his gift for languages 83 00:07:19,270 --> 00:07:23,707 and by the time he was 13, Champollion spoke six ancient tongues. 84 00:07:24,670 --> 00:07:29,380 From childhood he was fascinated by the question of when the first civilisation began. 85 00:07:30,830 --> 00:07:33,424 - Good day at school? - No. 86 00:07:33,510 --> 00:07:34,829 Boring. 87 00:07:36,110 --> 00:07:40,149 (Mumbling) Four thousand, three hundred, then... 88 00:07:42,630 --> 00:07:45,747 I've done it. I've worked out the age of the world. 89 00:07:45,830 --> 00:07:47,388 And how did you manage that? 90 00:07:47,470 --> 00:07:49,859 Easy. Genesis, Chapter 5. 91 00:07:49,950 --> 00:07:55,070 I counted back through all the ancestors of Noah, right back to Adam, and added up their ages. 92 00:07:56,270 --> 00:07:58,830 So how old is it? 93 00:07:59,910 --> 00:08:06,588 4,327, I think. 94 00:08:09,350 --> 00:08:11,420 NARRATOR: As Champollion grew up, 95 00:08:11,510 --> 00:08:15,583 he began to believe the answer lay in the ancient hieroglyphs. 96 00:08:15,750 --> 00:08:18,389 Stop it, those shoes have got to last. 97 00:08:18,470 --> 00:08:21,223 You're the fussiest brother in the world. I can be angry, can't I? 98 00:08:21,310 --> 00:08:23,585 The stone was discovered by France. 99 00:08:23,670 --> 00:08:25,626 We have copies of the inscriptions. 100 00:08:25,710 --> 00:08:28,463 It's not the same thing. How do you know if the copy is accurate? 101 00:08:28,550 --> 00:08:30,859 I wanted to see the stone, to touch it. 102 00:08:30,950 --> 00:08:32,861 My quest for the true age of the world is over 103 00:08:32,950 --> 00:08:35,862 if I can't read the hieroglyphs, the oldest language from the oldest nation. 104 00:08:35,950 --> 00:08:38,225 There are experts in Paris working on translating them. 105 00:08:38,310 --> 00:08:39,868 It's just a matter of time. 106 00:08:39,950 --> 00:08:43,499 I can't wait for other people to do it. What if the English translate them first? 107 00:08:43,590 --> 00:08:47,902 If you can get me a good copy of the inscription, then I'll do it. I shall translate the hieroglyphs. 108 00:08:47,990 --> 00:08:51,505 That'll be my revenge on those English barbarians, you'll see. 109 00:08:59,870 --> 00:09:03,624 NARRATOR: Originally, there may have been hundreds of copies of the stone. 110 00:09:03,710 --> 00:09:07,419 The Greek inscription suggested this was an act of propaganda 111 00:09:07,510 --> 00:09:11,947 on behalf of Egypt's 285th pharaoh, Ptolemy V. 112 00:09:12,630 --> 00:09:18,466 When he commissioned it in 196 BC, his reign, along with Egypt, was in trouble. 113 00:09:24,070 --> 00:09:29,269 By this time, the Egyptian civilisation had existed for 3,000 years, 114 00:09:29,350 --> 00:09:31,944 but its glory days were well in the past. 115 00:09:37,750 --> 00:09:39,627 After a series of invasions, 116 00:09:39,710 --> 00:09:45,706 it had been conquered by the Greek-speaking warlord Alexander the Great in 332 BC. 117 00:09:46,510 --> 00:09:50,105 He had made himself pharaoh, brought in his own government, 118 00:09:50,230 --> 00:09:53,063 and Greek became the language of the rulers. 119 00:09:55,630 --> 00:10:00,101 The new elite could neither speak the local language nor read the hieroglyphs, 120 00:10:00,190 --> 00:10:03,341 and their presence fuelled resentment in Egypt. 121 00:10:03,430 --> 00:10:06,581 Under Ptolemy V, the country was in open revolt. 122 00:10:07,310 --> 00:10:12,782 So, out of desperation, in temples throughout the land, he erected stone tablets. 123 00:10:14,830 --> 00:10:20,109 Each proclaimed Ptolemy's virtues and underlined his claim to be rightful pharaoh. 124 00:10:26,230 --> 00:10:31,258 The Rosetta Stone did not reflect the glorious achievements of pharaohs past. 125 00:10:31,350 --> 00:10:34,581 It was a pathetic symbol of Egypt's decline. 126 00:10:34,990 --> 00:10:38,187 The beginning of the end of a great culture. 127 00:10:50,950 --> 00:10:55,978 A culture whose writings would soon become obscure and indecipherable. 128 00:11:08,670 --> 00:11:10,501 Come and have a look at this. 129 00:11:14,430 --> 00:11:15,863 See this? 130 00:11:17,510 --> 00:11:19,262 What, that oval shape? 131 00:11:19,350 --> 00:11:22,308 It's a cartouche. That's what they call them now. 132 00:11:22,430 --> 00:11:25,945 The soldiers thought they looked like cartridges from their rifles, you see. 133 00:11:26,030 --> 00:11:27,349 I suppose so. 134 00:11:27,430 --> 00:11:30,388 Well, some people think this shape... 135 00:11:35,150 --> 00:11:38,347 contains a name, maybe a royal name. 136 00:11:38,430 --> 00:11:40,227 No one's been able to prove it? 137 00:11:40,310 --> 00:11:44,861 No, but if the scholars are right, then this... 138 00:11:46,390 --> 00:11:48,062 means "Ptolemy", doesn't it? 139 00:11:48,190 --> 00:11:53,423 Maybe. But how? Are hieroglyphs letters? Is there an alphabet? 140 00:11:54,190 --> 00:11:56,909 Is it just Ptolemy's name or does it describe him? 141 00:11:56,990 --> 00:11:59,106 Is it all his royal titles? We don't know. 142 00:11:59,190 --> 00:12:03,024 But we have your translation of the Greek. We know what it's saying. 143 00:12:04,270 --> 00:12:08,388 "King Ptolemy, manifest God, whose excellence is fine." 144 00:12:08,470 --> 00:12:10,381 So if this means "Ptolemy", then these next to him 145 00:12:10,470 --> 00:12:12,745 mean "manifest God whose excellence is fine", don't they? 146 00:12:12,830 --> 00:12:16,345 And how do you prove it? What if you read them in the other direction? 147 00:12:16,430 --> 00:12:17,704 (Exasperated sigh) 148 00:12:17,790 --> 00:12:19,826 Then these say it instead. 149 00:12:19,910 --> 00:12:22,583 But aren't hieroglyphs symbols and not words? 150 00:12:22,670 --> 00:12:26,379 - Meaning what? - I don't know, think of a coat of arms. 151 00:12:26,470 --> 00:12:31,146 We know what that indicates, who it stands for, but we can't read it. 152 00:12:34,550 --> 00:12:38,623 Napoleon's experts thought they'd crack this in a matter of weeks. They didn't. 153 00:12:39,270 --> 00:12:43,309 Professor Sacy has been working on it in Paris for years, and others, too. 154 00:12:45,150 --> 00:12:46,981 It's not going to be easy. 155 00:12:48,670 --> 00:12:53,221 The answer is in here somewhere and I'm going to find it. 156 00:12:58,350 --> 00:12:59,544 (Knocking at door) 157 00:12:59,630 --> 00:13:01,302 Come. 158 00:13:04,510 --> 00:13:06,819 This just arrived for you, sir. 159 00:13:19,110 --> 00:13:22,022 You'll understand the French are already ahead of us. 160 00:13:22,630 --> 00:13:27,988 And we're going to look pretty damned foolish if they translate this wretched stone 161 00:13:28,830 --> 00:13:31,390 while we've got it sitting in the British Museum. 162 00:13:31,470 --> 00:13:33,222 I see your point. 163 00:13:33,310 --> 00:13:36,382 Anyway, we've heard that you're the man for the job. 164 00:13:37,750 --> 00:13:40,310 So what do you say? 165 00:13:42,630 --> 00:13:45,667 NARRATOR: The Englishman Thomas Young was a brilliant scientist, 166 00:13:45,750 --> 00:13:47,661 a man of the Enlightenment. 167 00:13:47,750 --> 00:13:53,541 Amongst his achievements were how the human eye focused and a theory of how light travelled. 168 00:13:53,950 --> 00:13:58,262 His next challenge was to bring ancient Egypt back to life. 169 00:14:08,150 --> 00:14:12,621 Apart from his immense wealth, Young had one advantage over Champollion 170 00:14:12,710 --> 00:14:16,339 in unlocking the secrets of this mysterious civilisation. 171 00:14:16,670 --> 00:14:19,264 The British possessed the Rosetta Stone. 172 00:14:24,270 --> 00:14:26,784 Well, even I can read this bit. 173 00:14:26,870 --> 00:14:30,783 "Captured by the British army in 1801." 174 00:14:31,390 --> 00:14:33,665 If only the rest was as easy. 175 00:14:34,630 --> 00:14:36,700 What are hieroglyphs? 176 00:14:37,830 --> 00:14:40,902 Are they words or just pictures? 177 00:14:40,990 --> 00:14:42,867 Well, they're pictures, aren't they? 178 00:14:43,710 --> 00:14:46,178 Are we supposed to even read them at all? 179 00:14:46,910 --> 00:14:51,859 And if we can, is it from left to right? Right to left? Top to bottom? 180 00:14:54,870 --> 00:14:57,589 How can knowledge just disappear like that? 181 00:14:57,670 --> 00:14:59,706 Surely there must be someone who understands them? 182 00:14:59,790 --> 00:15:01,781 Didn't anyone leave a record of what they mean? 183 00:15:01,870 --> 00:15:05,624 Not as far as we know. This could be our best chance. 184 00:15:07,310 --> 00:15:12,145 It's not going to be easy. Look at this, it's badly damaged. 185 00:15:12,950 --> 00:15:15,987 Does the stone end here or here? 186 00:15:16,590 --> 00:15:19,309 How many of the hieroglyphs are missing? We just don't know. 187 00:15:19,390 --> 00:15:21,381 Doesn't that make the task impossible? 188 00:15:21,470 --> 00:15:23,461 Well, why don't you take a stab and find out? 189 00:15:23,550 --> 00:15:27,828 Remember, we cannot possibly let the French beat us to it. 190 00:15:28,630 --> 00:15:29,949 Here, here. 191 00:15:41,030 --> 00:15:44,261 NARRATOR: The most serious problem for Young and Champollion 192 00:15:44,350 --> 00:15:47,467 was that no one knew what hieroglyphs actually were. 193 00:15:49,030 --> 00:15:53,626 Simply symbols or letters that made the sounds of a spoken language? 194 00:15:55,950 --> 00:16:00,148 In every walk of life, symbols are used to communicate ideas. 195 00:16:02,470 --> 00:16:04,620 But they're not a language. 196 00:16:04,710 --> 00:16:09,022 They can't be spoken in the same way that the text of a book can be. 197 00:16:11,910 --> 00:16:16,779 It was widely believed that hieroglyphs were, in fact, silent symbols. 198 00:16:18,430 --> 00:16:20,261 But no one could be sure. 199 00:16:31,510 --> 00:16:32,784 What's this? 200 00:16:32,870 --> 00:16:36,783 It's for you. You won't get the education you deserve if you stay here. 201 00:16:36,870 --> 00:16:40,306 - You're saying I can go to Paris? - What do you think I'm saying? 202 00:16:40,390 --> 00:16:42,699 You can't pay for me. Where did you get all this? 203 00:16:42,790 --> 00:16:46,669 I've been saving it. I'm not sure what for, really, so you may as well take it. 204 00:16:48,310 --> 00:16:51,905 - I can't believe you'd do this for me. - Well, I have. So stop fussing. 205 00:16:51,990 --> 00:16:53,662 I won't let you down. 206 00:17:03,350 --> 00:17:05,227 YOUNG: This could be the key. 207 00:17:05,950 --> 00:17:10,944 The Greek tells us that this was the common language of Egypt at the time. 208 00:17:11,030 --> 00:17:17,947 I believe that hieroglyphs are symbols, but this script has the look of a spoken language. 209 00:17:18,670 --> 00:17:23,027 There's more of it than hieroglyphs, too. That section's almost complete. 210 00:17:24,390 --> 00:17:26,108 Where do you start? 211 00:17:27,310 --> 00:17:29,619 - Mathematics. - What? 212 00:17:29,710 --> 00:17:34,306 It's simple. If we count the number of times the Greek words appear... 213 00:17:34,390 --> 00:17:40,226 I see. So we're looking for groups of symbols in here occurring the same number of times. 214 00:17:40,350 --> 00:17:44,263 Then we have a chance to work out an alphabet, and from an alphabet, words. 215 00:17:44,350 --> 00:17:48,628 And from words, sentences. Won't it take rather a long time? 216 00:17:49,150 --> 00:17:50,424 Quite probably. 217 00:17:53,870 --> 00:17:56,703 NARRATOR: The task would be made considerably easier 218 00:17:56,790 --> 00:18:02,069 if either the stone's missing piece or a complete stone tablet could be found. 219 00:18:03,230 --> 00:18:07,667 So the British sent an appeal to this man, Giovanni Belzoni, 220 00:18:07,750 --> 00:18:13,063 the eccentric explorer who worked for the British Consul in Egypt tracking down artefacts. 221 00:18:13,710 --> 00:18:16,099 Pull! Pull! 222 00:18:26,950 --> 00:18:29,862 NARRATOR: It was said that if the missing piece was found, 223 00:18:29,950 --> 00:18:33,226 it would be worth its weight in diamonds. 224 00:18:33,310 --> 00:18:37,588 And if there was anyone who could find it, it was Belzoni, 225 00:18:37,670 --> 00:18:41,583 a man who had a gift for discovering Egypt's ancient past. 226 00:19:01,430 --> 00:19:05,389 It was the opportunity Champollion had been waiting for all his life. 227 00:19:05,990 --> 00:19:11,383 He arrived in Paris to study Oriental languages with the country's leading linguist, Sacy, 228 00:19:12,030 --> 00:19:16,148 a man who had struggled with the mystery of the hieroglyphs with little success. 229 00:19:23,310 --> 00:19:28,668 Today you will begin your attempt to learn Persian. 230 00:19:29,950 --> 00:19:33,943 A language steeped in the rich culture... Yes, Monsieur Letronne? 231 00:19:34,670 --> 00:19:37,787 Will we be studying hieroglyphs during our time here? 232 00:19:37,870 --> 00:19:42,944 No. I can see no good reason to study a script about which so little is known. 233 00:19:43,630 --> 00:19:45,666 The English are trying to translate them. 234 00:19:45,750 --> 00:19:49,789 I'm well aware of Mr Young's achievements in England, thank you. 235 00:19:50,110 --> 00:19:52,783 Perhaps if we studied them, we could beat him. 236 00:19:55,670 --> 00:20:00,585 Hieroglyphs are symbols, the embodiment of an idea. 237 00:20:01,630 --> 00:20:04,224 Translating them is a task so monumentally difficult, 238 00:20:04,310 --> 00:20:07,700 that it would take a lifetime, if indeed it could be achieved at all. 239 00:20:08,150 --> 00:20:10,618 Now, if there are no other questions... 240 00:20:10,710 --> 00:20:12,746 What is it, Monsieur Champollion? 241 00:20:12,870 --> 00:20:16,067 Are you sure hieroglyphs are just symbols and not words and letters? 242 00:20:16,150 --> 00:20:22,908 Oh, you're saying I'm wrong, along with every other classical scholar from antiquity? 243 00:20:24,830 --> 00:20:28,379 Here you are, Monsieur Champollion... 244 00:20:32,030 --> 00:20:33,509 enlighten us. 245 00:20:34,630 --> 00:20:36,621 What does that hieroglyph mean? 246 00:20:36,710 --> 00:20:37,938 I don't know. 247 00:20:39,070 --> 00:20:43,188 Well, let's pursue something that we do know, shall we? 248 00:20:43,270 --> 00:20:48,139 Gentlemen, open your Persian grammars at chapter one. 249 00:20:52,150 --> 00:20:53,299 So... 250 00:20:54,670 --> 00:20:57,389 what exactly do you wish to achieve here? 251 00:20:57,470 --> 00:20:59,028 The origins of the world. 252 00:20:59,110 --> 00:21:01,465 That's what's fascinated me ever since I was a boy. 253 00:21:01,590 --> 00:21:02,943 That's a worthy subject. 254 00:21:03,030 --> 00:21:04,986 When I first learned Latin, I thought that would help, 255 00:21:05,070 --> 00:21:07,220 but I prefer the Greek version of the Bible, don't you? 256 00:21:07,310 --> 00:21:09,540 That didn't provide the answers so I turned to Hebrew. 257 00:21:09,630 --> 00:21:11,427 I'd like to tackle Aramaic while I'm here. 258 00:21:11,510 --> 00:21:14,343 Can you imagine actually speaking the same language as our Lord? 259 00:21:14,430 --> 00:21:17,786 I can, and I do, by the way. 260 00:21:18,150 --> 00:21:20,903 There are so many questions I've always wanted to answer. 261 00:21:20,990 --> 00:21:24,300 What language did Adam speak? Which is the oldest race in the world? 262 00:21:24,390 --> 00:21:26,506 And if Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, 263 00:21:26,590 --> 00:21:28,865 why are they not in Egyptian, his native tongue? 264 00:21:28,950 --> 00:21:32,067 I'm not sure that's something we need to question. 265 00:21:32,310 --> 00:21:36,667 I know I can discover all the answers if I can just translate hieroglyphs. 266 00:21:37,110 --> 00:21:40,068 Really? How interesting. 267 00:21:45,350 --> 00:21:50,982 This is interesting. Have you got any word that crops up 24 times? 268 00:21:51,110 --> 00:21:53,829 - It's not enough to be "and" or "the". - Uh-huh. 269 00:21:53,950 --> 00:21:56,180 It's got to be something else. 270 00:21:56,270 --> 00:22:00,309 Well, I've got "king" in the Greek, 271 00:22:00,390 --> 00:22:03,939 "basileus", 23 times. 272 00:22:04,830 --> 00:22:09,665 - Right. Basileus. I'm marking that as a possible. - Mmm. 273 00:22:09,990 --> 00:22:12,948 The next word occurs 14 times. 274 00:22:13,030 --> 00:22:14,179 Oh! 275 00:22:14,870 --> 00:22:20,024 "Ptolemy" crops up 11 times. It could be the closest. 276 00:22:20,590 --> 00:22:24,788 Yes, yes. This is promising. "Ptolemaios." 277 00:22:26,910 --> 00:22:30,505 Excellent. More fun than you expected? 278 00:22:31,390 --> 00:22:34,985 Well, it is if you've drunk enough port. Any more in there? 279 00:22:39,870 --> 00:22:43,306 NARRATOR: Young treated the hieroglyphs as a code to be broken, 280 00:22:43,390 --> 00:22:47,588 using the sheer power of logic and numerical analysis. 281 00:22:47,670 --> 00:22:51,902 Surely, he felt, if he applied his brilliant mind for long enough, 282 00:22:51,990 --> 00:22:55,346 the deeds the pharaohs described on the walls of their temples 283 00:22:55,430 --> 00:22:57,785 would at last ring out loudly again. 284 00:22:58,630 --> 00:23:03,146 But Champollion took a completely different approach to these ancient inscriptions. 285 00:23:03,710 --> 00:23:07,544 As a linguist, he was determined to find the meaning of the hieroglyphs 286 00:23:07,630 --> 00:23:10,747 through the study of the ancient languages of Egypt. 287 00:23:19,310 --> 00:23:23,588 Champollion was becoming convinced that the hieroglyphs made words. 288 00:23:24,030 --> 00:23:26,260 And words had to be spoken. 289 00:23:26,350 --> 00:23:31,378 So he began to study the last known language spoken during the time of the hieroglyphs. 290 00:23:35,270 --> 00:23:39,468 Coptic, the language of the Egyptian Christians. 291 00:23:45,670 --> 00:23:49,424 NARRATOR: Coptic was still spoken in the churches of Coptic Christians, 292 00:23:49,510 --> 00:23:51,421 including one in Paris. 293 00:23:52,270 --> 00:23:54,500 (Singing) 294 00:24:21,550 --> 00:24:24,018 Could this be the sound of the pharaohs? 295 00:24:32,030 --> 00:24:36,501 If only Champollion could match these sounds to the hieroglyphs, 296 00:24:36,590 --> 00:24:39,468 perhaps he might hear the pharaohs speak. 297 00:24:46,830 --> 00:24:48,343 "Belson. 298 00:24:48,950 --> 00:24:52,226 "Belson. Lavoi. 299 00:24:52,830 --> 00:24:57,301 "Lavoi, lavoi. Miche, miche, miche. 300 00:24:58,310 --> 00:25:03,020 "Met... Met... Metti. Merthi, merthi, merthi. " 301 00:25:03,790 --> 00:25:05,746 What on earth are you doing? 302 00:25:07,630 --> 00:25:11,066 Jacques-Joseph, how wonderful to see you. 303 00:25:11,350 --> 00:25:13,944 - I didn't expect to see you so soon. - Clearly. 304 00:25:14,030 --> 00:25:17,500 - What was that noise? - The four Coptic names for a lion. 305 00:25:17,590 --> 00:25:19,865 Strictly speaking, "lavoi"means lioness. 306 00:25:19,950 --> 00:25:21,178 Coptic? 307 00:25:21,270 --> 00:25:23,340 Yes, the closest living language to common Egyptian. 308 00:25:23,430 --> 00:25:27,218 The language spoken by the Egyptians around the time of Cleopatra and Alexander the Great. 309 00:25:27,310 --> 00:25:30,780 And I found a church where they say mass in Coptic, right here in Paris, 310 00:25:30,870 --> 00:25:32,747 and the priest is teaching me. 311 00:25:32,830 --> 00:25:37,267 - Just what you need, another language. - Don't mock, this could be the key to everything. 312 00:25:37,990 --> 00:25:44,065 - What on earth have you done to your breeches? - Oh, yes, I tore them on my first week. 313 00:25:44,670 --> 00:25:47,742 - Never mind, it doesn't matter. - Take them off, give them to me. 314 00:25:47,830 --> 00:25:49,741 Do you have a needle and thread? 315 00:25:53,510 --> 00:25:58,265 Suppose the scripts of the stone are related, have you thought of that? 316 00:25:59,110 --> 00:26:02,785 What if the hieroglyphs are just an older version of the common Egyptian? 317 00:26:02,910 --> 00:26:04,309 Look. 318 00:26:05,710 --> 00:26:07,507 It's here somewhere. 319 00:26:09,510 --> 00:26:14,140 Take this sign from the common Egyptian. Don't you think it looks a bit like this hieroglyph? 320 00:26:15,350 --> 00:26:16,465 A little. 321 00:26:16,910 --> 00:26:21,347 Don't you see what I'm saying? If the hieroglyphs are connected to common Egyptian, 322 00:26:21,430 --> 00:26:24,945 they're the script of a language, not vague mystical symbols. 323 00:26:25,470 --> 00:26:28,906 Interesting theory. And you think this Coptic will help? 324 00:26:28,990 --> 00:26:32,665 Well, maybe. If I can use it to work out common Egyptian. 325 00:26:33,550 --> 00:26:37,623 Test me, go on, I'm pretty good. Ask me to name anything. 326 00:26:37,910 --> 00:26:41,585 - All right. Chair. - "Sey". 327 00:26:41,670 --> 00:26:43,740 - Table. - "Sotchee". 328 00:26:44,750 --> 00:26:46,263 - Bed. - "Loll". 329 00:26:47,070 --> 00:26:48,788 I can't see much else. 330 00:26:50,110 --> 00:26:52,863 Ah, sun. 331 00:26:55,070 --> 00:26:56,549 "Ray". 332 00:26:57,310 --> 00:27:01,383 It's my favourite. Don't you just love that sound? 333 00:27:03,470 --> 00:27:04,823 "Ray". 334 00:27:04,910 --> 00:27:08,220 Stop showing off. Now, what's Coptic for lunch? 335 00:27:23,310 --> 00:27:27,940 Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! 336 00:27:28,790 --> 00:27:31,543 - What is it? - Look at this. 337 00:27:34,190 --> 00:27:39,105 Look at this from the stone and this from our papyrus. What's the difference? 338 00:27:40,710 --> 00:27:44,259 Well, it looks like the same cartouche except the other way round. 339 00:27:44,870 --> 00:27:46,747 You know what that means? 340 00:27:46,830 --> 00:27:50,220 You must be able to read hieroglyphs in either direction. 341 00:27:50,710 --> 00:27:55,022 - Well, how do you know which direction to choose? - Precisely. 342 00:28:03,230 --> 00:28:08,543 This stops me in my tracks. I'd assumed left to right 343 00:28:08,630 --> 00:28:12,748 as everything else on the Rosetta Stone appears to be read that way, but this... 344 00:28:23,030 --> 00:28:24,429 Wrong! 345 00:28:24,550 --> 00:28:29,021 - What? - It's a simple reflection, everything is turned! 346 00:28:29,910 --> 00:28:35,143 Look! The heads must face the start of the word. 347 00:28:35,270 --> 00:28:38,387 - That's how we know which way to read them. - Oh. 348 00:28:38,950 --> 00:28:40,303 Well done. 349 00:28:41,150 --> 00:28:45,302 NARRATOR: Young now began to publish a series of significant advances. 350 00:28:45,630 --> 00:28:48,906 Most impressively, he suggested how the name Ptolemy 351 00:28:48,990 --> 00:28:51,550 was spelt out in hieroglyphs. 352 00:28:52,790 --> 00:28:58,740 Champollion, by contrast, was still preoccupied with the practical task of earning a living. 353 00:29:00,030 --> 00:29:03,739 Assistant Professor. Has quite a ring to it, doesn't it? 354 00:29:03,830 --> 00:29:06,708 - It's a start. - You'll be a great teacher. 355 00:29:06,790 --> 00:29:10,021 Can't imagine you standing there saying, "Enlighten us," like old Sacy. 356 00:29:10,110 --> 00:29:14,103 - What about you, Jean? - Ah, I'll find something. 357 00:29:14,190 --> 00:29:18,627 Though times are changing. Who knows what the future holds in store for republicans like us? 358 00:29:20,870 --> 00:29:26,627 - You mustn't give up on those hieroglyphs. - I won't, though sometimes I feel like it. 359 00:29:29,470 --> 00:29:32,143 Look at this, my latest clues. 360 00:29:32,230 --> 00:29:36,542 See this sign? Here it is in the Coptic, then into the common Egyptian, 361 00:29:37,270 --> 00:29:42,105 then into the Ancient Egyptian and finally into the hieroglyphs, the oldest sign of them all. 362 00:29:45,070 --> 00:29:50,064 Which reminds me, almost as old as your breeches. 363 00:29:51,870 --> 00:29:55,101 Spare pair. No assistant professor should be without them. 364 00:29:58,030 --> 00:29:59,509 Thank you. 365 00:30:06,750 --> 00:30:10,220 - Ah, you clumsy oaf. - I'm so sorry. 366 00:30:11,310 --> 00:30:15,508 - Rosine? - Jean-Francois? I thought it was you. 367 00:30:16,270 --> 00:30:21,549 My God, you look so... Well, you're older, aren't you? Of course you are. 368 00:30:23,350 --> 00:30:26,706 - Are you back from Paris to stay? - Yes, I'm back with Jacques-Joseph and Zoe. 369 00:30:26,790 --> 00:30:30,021 - They seem so happy together. - They are. I'm very envious. 370 00:30:31,150 --> 00:30:36,178 - You'd like to have married Zoe? - Oh, no, I mean... Well, I don't know what I mean. 371 00:30:37,430 --> 00:30:39,307 My mother, I have to go. 372 00:30:42,230 --> 00:30:44,107 Can I see you again? 373 00:30:57,910 --> 00:31:01,300 It is our duty as scientists to question everything, 374 00:31:01,390 --> 00:31:05,622 whether it is the right of those who govern us or the power of those who direct our beliefs. 375 00:31:06,510 --> 00:31:11,664 You must always remember the study of ancient history is a quest for truth, 376 00:31:12,430 --> 00:31:15,740 however uncomfortable that truth may be. Andre? 377 00:31:15,830 --> 00:31:19,266 Professor Champollion, will we be studying hieroglyphs? 378 00:31:19,350 --> 00:31:23,263 Yes. Yes, we most certainly will. 379 00:31:26,390 --> 00:31:27,789 Thank you. 380 00:31:35,390 --> 00:31:38,860 NARRATOR: In 1815, defeat at the Battle of Waterloo 381 00:31:38,950 --> 00:31:42,659 meant the end for Napoleon and the short-lived French Republic. 382 00:31:46,670 --> 00:31:49,184 France was thrown into political turmoil. 383 00:32:05,470 --> 00:32:09,258 - How did it go today? - Well, thank you, Zoe. 384 00:32:09,750 --> 00:32:12,423 Yeah, they're so keen to learn, especially about Egypt. 385 00:32:12,510 --> 00:32:15,343 Sometimes it's difficult to get them off the subject. 386 00:32:17,310 --> 00:32:19,699 I called by to see Rosine on my way home. 387 00:32:24,550 --> 00:32:28,987 - How is she? - Wonderful, as always. 388 00:32:30,230 --> 00:32:32,903 I even managed a few words with her father this time. 389 00:32:35,230 --> 00:32:37,790 - I find him very difficult. - Hmm. 390 00:32:37,870 --> 00:32:39,940 What on earth do you talk about? 391 00:32:40,030 --> 00:32:42,180 Nothing much. 392 00:32:42,310 --> 00:32:44,380 I just asked for his daughter's hand in marriage. 393 00:32:44,470 --> 00:32:48,668 (Choking) Marry Rosine Blanc? You can't. 394 00:32:48,750 --> 00:32:51,310 - Why not? - She's just a girl. 395 00:32:51,390 --> 00:32:55,019 - She has no interest in languages or your work. - Then I'll teach her. 396 00:32:55,110 --> 00:32:58,022 - Isn't her father a Royalist? - Well, I'll teach him, too. 397 00:32:58,110 --> 00:32:59,862 (Knocking at door) 398 00:33:00,030 --> 00:33:03,784 - He couldn't possibly have agreed to the match? - No, but I shall work on him. 399 00:33:03,870 --> 00:33:07,465 And what if his future son-in-law's the first man to translate hieroglyphs? 400 00:33:08,150 --> 00:33:11,938 I have a warrant for the arrest of Jacques-Joseph and Jean-Francois Champollion. 401 00:33:12,790 --> 00:33:14,143 On what charge? 402 00:33:14,230 --> 00:33:17,984 Using the university library to hold political meetings and plotting against the King. 403 00:33:18,070 --> 00:33:21,779 - That's not true. - You've been found guilty of sedition. 404 00:33:22,150 --> 00:33:26,189 You'll be removed from your teaching posts and exiled to your father's home in Figeac. 405 00:33:36,110 --> 00:33:37,748 I'll wait for you! 406 00:33:48,190 --> 00:33:50,340 (Mumbling) 407 00:33:53,470 --> 00:33:55,142 Fourteen. 408 00:33:56,350 --> 00:33:57,942 Priest. 409 00:33:59,030 --> 00:34:00,543 Fourteen. 410 00:34:03,190 --> 00:34:04,589 Priest. 411 00:34:05,550 --> 00:34:08,860 Fourteen to the left. 412 00:34:11,670 --> 00:34:12,944 Ah! 413 00:34:14,870 --> 00:34:17,179 Here it is. 414 00:34:17,270 --> 00:34:21,343 This, my dear Gurney, is the hieroglyph for "priest". 415 00:34:25,270 --> 00:34:32,187 That means you've found "God", "king", "Osiris", "Isis" and now "priest". 416 00:34:33,110 --> 00:34:36,864 - Well, wait till the French see this. - I'm not sure we need to worry. 417 00:34:38,150 --> 00:34:42,109 Sacy tells me that poor old Champollion has fallen foul of the new rulers 418 00:34:42,190 --> 00:34:44,465 and been thrown out of his job. 419 00:34:53,070 --> 00:34:55,504 NARRATOR: And there was more good news for Young 420 00:34:55,590 --> 00:34:58,423 thanks to the explorer Giovanni Belzoni. 421 00:34:59,350 --> 00:35:01,784 Hamet. There. 422 00:35:04,910 --> 00:35:08,949 NARRATOR: His quest for Egyptian artefacts had taken him to the south of Egypt. 423 00:35:16,670 --> 00:35:21,141 And whilst he hadn't managed to unearth another copy of the Rosetta Stone, 424 00:35:21,230 --> 00:35:25,667 at the temple of Philae, he claimed an ancient Egyptian artefact 425 00:35:25,750 --> 00:35:28,389 which promised to be almost as useful. 426 00:35:29,430 --> 00:35:33,582 What did I tell you? I could fill 10 boats from this place. 427 00:35:34,990 --> 00:35:40,667 This is beautiful. Don't you wonder what it means? 428 00:35:40,950 --> 00:35:42,986 NARRATOR: One of the few men in the world 429 00:35:43,070 --> 00:35:45,789 who might have known what was written on this obelisk 430 00:35:45,870 --> 00:35:50,261 was in exile in the French countryside, Jean-Francois Champollion. 431 00:35:51,110 --> 00:35:55,786 But his brother Jacques-Joseph's long campaign to get him released finally paid off. 432 00:35:56,310 --> 00:35:59,347 Champollion was all set to return to Paris. 433 00:36:13,870 --> 00:36:18,102 GURNEY: Belzoni brought this obelisk from the island of Philae. 434 00:36:22,350 --> 00:36:26,946 Apparently there's a Greek inscription on the base that mentions Cleopatra. 435 00:36:31,310 --> 00:36:36,179 In which case, this should be her cartouche. 436 00:36:39,950 --> 00:36:45,582 What if Champollion's already got a copy now that he's back in Paris? 437 00:36:46,830 --> 00:36:49,424 Then we've got a race on our hands. 438 00:36:54,190 --> 00:36:56,306 - Have you done it? - Almost. 439 00:36:56,390 --> 00:37:01,305 I have a P, an O and an L from Ptolemy already. And this must be a K. 440 00:37:01,750 --> 00:37:06,540 It's Cleopatra, I'm sure of it. It's an obelisk from England sent to me by an old college friend. 441 00:37:06,630 --> 00:37:10,384 But can you trust him? We've hardly had any reliable copies of anything yet. 442 00:37:10,510 --> 00:37:14,742 If this is right, then so am I. Let me show you. 443 00:37:16,070 --> 00:37:19,142 This is what I think the Cleopatra cartouche should look like. 444 00:37:23,310 --> 00:37:30,102 My God, they're identical. You've beaten him, you can read hieroglyphs. 445 00:37:30,190 --> 00:37:34,547 No, I can't. Cleopatra is a modern Greek name translated into hieroglyphs. 446 00:37:34,630 --> 00:37:38,066 I need to prove that I can read real Ancient Egyptian names. 447 00:37:38,150 --> 00:37:40,903 Names written in hieroglyphs in the first place. 448 00:37:41,510 --> 00:37:46,982 Maybe Sacy was right all along. Maybe ancient hieroglyphs are just silent symbols. 449 00:37:55,510 --> 00:37:58,547 NARRATOR: But Champollion had taken an important step. 450 00:37:59,230 --> 00:38:02,745 He had worked out a hypothetical hieroglyphic alphabet. 451 00:38:02,830 --> 00:38:05,867 And by using it to write the cartouche for Cleopatra, 452 00:38:05,950 --> 00:38:09,022 he now had evidence that the alphabet was correct. 453 00:38:11,070 --> 00:38:14,062 He had done this not just by logical deduction, 454 00:38:14,150 --> 00:38:17,586 but by using the languages of Coptic and common Egyptian 455 00:38:17,670 --> 00:38:20,662 to work out the precise sounds of each hieroglyph. 456 00:38:33,310 --> 00:38:38,430 William Bankes' obelisk now stands in the grounds of the Kingston Lacy Estate in Dorset. 457 00:38:39,350 --> 00:38:43,582 Ironically, although it looked like giving Young an advantage in the race, 458 00:38:43,670 --> 00:38:46,980 the obelisk ended up making his life more difficult. 459 00:38:47,150 --> 00:38:51,189 Because in his reading of its hieroglyphs, he made a crucial mistake. 460 00:38:57,510 --> 00:38:59,740 Damn it, there's always something! 461 00:39:00,110 --> 00:39:04,069 It says "Cleopatra" in the Greek, but the first hieroglyph's clearly wrong. 462 00:39:05,750 --> 00:39:10,426 You know, Gurney, sometimes I'd rather have my teeth pulled. 463 00:39:31,910 --> 00:39:34,026 (Knocking at door) 464 00:39:45,470 --> 00:39:48,064 Oh, my God, Letronne! What are you doing here? 465 00:39:49,030 --> 00:39:52,386 For you. Drawings. Friend of mine's just been to Egypt. 466 00:39:52,710 --> 00:39:55,907 Heard Young was getting close so I thought you might need them. 467 00:39:56,030 --> 00:39:59,386 That is kind. Come in, come in. 468 00:40:00,710 --> 00:40:04,146 It's a ruined temple at Abu Simbel. Any use to you? 469 00:40:04,230 --> 00:40:07,984 Oh, it's beautiful. What I wouldn't give to be standing there. 470 00:40:08,990 --> 00:40:11,299 LETRONNE: Who's in the cartouche? 471 00:40:12,910 --> 00:40:16,186 I don't know, I've not seen that one before. 472 00:40:23,470 --> 00:40:26,223 NARRATOR: Abu Simbel was an ancient temple. 473 00:40:26,390 --> 00:40:31,828 This monument was constructed long before the country was colonised by Alexander the Great 474 00:40:31,910 --> 00:40:34,902 so the hieroglyphs which covered its walls were old enough 475 00:40:34,990 --> 00:40:37,902 never to have been corrupted by ancient Greek. 476 00:40:46,350 --> 00:40:50,980 The man who built this temple is widely seen as the greatest pharaoh of them all. 477 00:40:51,510 --> 00:40:56,106 And when this huge complex was constructed, he was at the height of his power. 478 00:41:01,550 --> 00:41:05,987 The four 65-foot statues which guard the entrance to the building 479 00:41:06,070 --> 00:41:08,345 were images of the pharaoh himself. 480 00:41:20,590 --> 00:41:24,469 A smaller temple at the side was a monument to love, 481 00:41:24,550 --> 00:41:26,780 a pharaoh's love for his queen. 482 00:41:42,430 --> 00:41:47,709 It was Giovanni Belzoni himself who had discovered the inner temple in 1817. 483 00:41:50,030 --> 00:41:51,543 Time to go in. 484 00:42:02,750 --> 00:42:04,263 Despite his achievement, 485 00:42:04,350 --> 00:42:07,820 Belzoni was unable to read the thousands of hieroglyphs 486 00:42:07,910 --> 00:42:09,821 that covered the temple walls. 487 00:42:10,550 --> 00:42:13,667 Now I understand the man who built this. 488 00:42:13,750 --> 00:42:17,504 I don't know his name, but I know he is a real showman. 489 00:42:20,790 --> 00:42:24,988 Champollion would now attempt to read the name of this ancient pharaoh 490 00:42:25,070 --> 00:42:28,028 for the first time in over a thousand years. 491 00:42:48,350 --> 00:42:53,583 - There. - Remember Sacy? Enlighten us. 492 00:42:54,910 --> 00:42:58,141 How close are we to enlightenment after all these years? 493 00:42:58,230 --> 00:43:01,540 Well, we know that it's a royal name. 494 00:43:01,630 --> 00:43:04,986 True. And this is an ancient temple, it's not Greek or Roman. 495 00:43:07,070 --> 00:43:11,541 - What does that one look like to you? - I always thought it was like the sun. 496 00:43:11,750 --> 00:43:13,980 What if it was more than just a symbol? 497 00:43:14,070 --> 00:43:17,062 What if this ancient hieroglyph also made a sound? 498 00:43:17,590 --> 00:43:21,629 - Would Coptic help? - The Coptic for sun is "Ray". 499 00:43:21,910 --> 00:43:26,267 And the Egyptian god was also known as Ra. 500 00:43:26,350 --> 00:43:31,583 And I know this one. This double hieroglyph at the end makes the "S" sound in Ptolemaios. 501 00:43:32,510 --> 00:43:36,389 - What about that one? - I don't know. But what if it was the letter "M"? 502 00:43:37,790 --> 00:43:42,545 Ra-m-S. Ramess. 503 00:43:45,030 --> 00:43:46,543 Ramesses! 504 00:43:51,030 --> 00:43:54,705 The "M" was a guess also based on Coptic. 505 00:43:54,790 --> 00:43:57,907 But he was right, this is Ramesses. 506 00:43:58,750 --> 00:44:04,222 The pharaoh had spoken and Champollion had heard his voice across the millennia. 507 00:44:04,750 --> 00:44:07,548 By translating the hieroglyphs for Ramesses, 508 00:44:07,630 --> 00:44:10,986 Champollion proved he could read the code of the pharaohs. 509 00:44:11,310 --> 00:44:14,746 He was now able to confirm that his hieroglyphic alphabet 510 00:44:14,830 --> 00:44:19,346 could be extended to read words written over 3,000 years ago. 511 00:44:20,830 --> 00:44:24,743 He'd done it by going backwards in time, beginning with the Coptic, 512 00:44:24,830 --> 00:44:28,903 then common Egyptian, finally arriving at ancient hieroglyphs. 513 00:44:36,990 --> 00:44:41,302 Champollion at last had the key to making the mysterious hieroglyphs 514 00:44:41,390 --> 00:44:44,860 that covered every temple wall in Egypt speak their secrets. 515 00:44:45,430 --> 00:44:51,107 The word "Ra"in Ramesses is directly related to the Coptic word "Ray", meaning sun. 516 00:44:51,750 --> 00:44:55,982 The rest of his name was also a Coptic expression meaning "born of". 517 00:45:08,350 --> 00:45:12,582 In Ancient Egyptian culture, Ra was the creator of Egypt, 518 00:45:12,670 --> 00:45:16,822 a sun god, one of the most important of all Egyptian deities. 519 00:45:16,910 --> 00:45:20,220 He was represented with a disc, the sun, on his head. 520 00:45:20,790 --> 00:45:23,941 All pharaohs were said to be related to him. 521 00:45:24,590 --> 00:45:28,947 The name Ramesses literally means "child of the sun god". 522 00:45:31,870 --> 00:45:37,740 Champollion had worked out that the hieroglyphs weren't only symbols, but also a language. 523 00:45:38,190 --> 00:45:42,627 He now possessed the first clues for bringing ancient Egypt back to life. 524 00:45:46,990 --> 00:45:51,268 Champollion's revelation happened in the autumn of 1822, 525 00:45:51,350 --> 00:45:54,422 24 years after the stone had been discovered. 526 00:45:54,510 --> 00:45:55,738 Sorry. 527 00:45:56,230 --> 00:45:58,585 I've done it. I've done it. 528 00:46:00,750 --> 00:46:04,743 Jean-Francois! Jean-Francois! Jean-Francois! 529 00:46:09,710 --> 00:46:11,621 But there was a twist. 530 00:46:11,710 --> 00:46:15,828 Champollion's exhausting achievement edged him into dangerous territory. 531 00:46:17,190 --> 00:46:19,499 The Catholic Church was deeply concerned 532 00:46:19,590 --> 00:46:22,548 about what an understanding of the hieroglyphs might lead to. 533 00:46:23,070 --> 00:46:25,538 The reason? Noah's flood. 534 00:46:26,390 --> 00:46:32,101 Biblical scholars dated the event to the year 2349 BC. 535 00:46:33,150 --> 00:46:36,540 If the hieroglyphs proved that the whole Egyptian civilisation 536 00:46:36,630 --> 00:46:40,066 had begun before the flood was supposed to have happened 537 00:46:40,150 --> 00:46:45,588 and continued unaffected by it, then that would create a serious problem for the Church. 538 00:46:46,070 --> 00:46:50,860 As far as the Church was concerned at the time, the Bible was historically accurate. 539 00:46:51,510 --> 00:46:54,866 So if the code of the pharaohs proved that it wasn't, 540 00:46:54,990 --> 00:46:58,107 the Church's teaching would be seriously undermined. 541 00:47:04,870 --> 00:47:07,065 This new area of study... 542 00:47:08,470 --> 00:47:13,066 I suppose one must bow to fashion and call it Egyptology... 543 00:47:14,150 --> 00:47:17,381 raises some interesting questions, does it not? 544 00:47:17,590 --> 00:47:22,903 Indeed, particularly about the age and origins of the world. 545 00:47:22,990 --> 00:47:27,222 Exactly. So my question to you is this. 546 00:47:29,030 --> 00:47:31,942 Whose side is he on? 547 00:47:32,070 --> 00:47:38,100 Whatever I might think of his political views, Father Abbot, Champollion is a brilliant scholar. 548 00:47:38,230 --> 00:47:41,267 And therefore, in this field, 549 00:47:42,190 --> 00:47:44,704 if he is not a strict adherent to the faith, 550 00:47:44,790 --> 00:47:48,578 he is a danger to the Church, wouldn't you say? 551 00:47:48,670 --> 00:47:51,025 Only if he succeeds. 552 00:47:55,670 --> 00:47:59,709 Jean-Francois! Jean-Francois! Jean-Francois! 553 00:48:02,230 --> 00:48:05,540 Thank God. I thought you were going to die. 554 00:48:07,190 --> 00:48:11,388 You don't get rid of me that easily. There's still too much work to be done. 555 00:48:12,750 --> 00:48:14,502 It's time to tell people. 556 00:48:16,150 --> 00:48:20,063 NARRATOR: Champollion started to let the world know what he'd discovered 557 00:48:20,150 --> 00:48:23,540 in books, pamphlets and a series of lectures. 558 00:48:30,830 --> 00:48:32,900 - Has he done it? - I don't know. 559 00:48:32,990 --> 00:48:35,550 You said it would be impossible, that's what I told the Holy Father. 560 00:48:35,630 --> 00:48:37,905 - That may yet be true. - But you don't know that. 561 00:48:37,990 --> 00:48:39,981 If a loose cannon like Champollion can read hieroglyphs, 562 00:48:40,070 --> 00:48:41,947 who knows what he'll attempt to discover. 563 00:48:42,030 --> 00:48:44,908 The Church, and the Church alone, declares the dates of the world's creation. 564 00:48:44,990 --> 00:48:46,821 Do you want that power in his hands? 565 00:48:46,910 --> 00:48:50,186 - Monsieur Champollion. - Professor, good to see you. 566 00:48:50,270 --> 00:48:51,703 - Hello. - Sir. 567 00:48:53,870 --> 00:48:55,383 Champollion. 568 00:48:58,470 --> 00:49:01,189 - Welcome. - Nice to meet you. Thank you. 569 00:49:01,630 --> 00:49:03,302 This way, please. 570 00:49:06,750 --> 00:49:08,820 Wish me luck. 571 00:49:17,390 --> 00:49:20,507 NARRATOR: Thomas Young was in Paris for one of his lectures. 572 00:49:23,630 --> 00:49:27,942 It has long been believed that the hieroglyphic script of ancient Egypt 573 00:49:28,070 --> 00:49:30,903 is a silent representation of ideas. 574 00:49:32,150 --> 00:49:36,701 But as Thomas Young in England has already indicated in his studies, 575 00:49:36,790 --> 00:49:41,989 the names of the Greek and Roman pharaohs of Egypt were spelled out in hieroglyphs 576 00:49:42,070 --> 00:49:45,346 that could be read. I agree with him. 577 00:49:46,110 --> 00:49:48,704 But no one, not even Doctor Young, 578 00:49:48,790 --> 00:49:52,226 has claimed that hieroglyphs from any other period 579 00:49:52,310 --> 00:49:57,828 could be read or spoken, until today. And that is what I believe. 580 00:49:57,990 --> 00:50:00,140 (Murmuring) 581 00:50:00,230 --> 00:50:02,949 Can you prove this, Monsieur Champollion? 582 00:50:09,390 --> 00:50:13,429 Let us start with a cartouche. 583 00:50:13,950 --> 00:50:17,101 And now four simple hieroglyphs. 584 00:50:18,070 --> 00:50:19,708 Here at the end of the cartouche, 585 00:50:19,790 --> 00:50:22,907 we have a hieroglyph also seen at the end of Ptolemaios. 586 00:50:23,350 --> 00:50:25,818 Making the sound "S". 587 00:50:29,110 --> 00:50:34,946 This I strongly believe to be an "M". And here we have something else. 588 00:50:35,830 --> 00:50:41,223 Not just a symbol, but a sound. A sign indicating the sun. 589 00:50:41,870 --> 00:50:45,909 In Coptic, "Ray" but also known as the god Ra. 590 00:50:47,030 --> 00:50:51,387 Which gives us Ra-m-ss. 591 00:50:52,550 --> 00:50:54,302 Ramesses. 592 00:50:54,390 --> 00:50:58,827 An ancient Egyptian and not a Greek pharaonic name. 593 00:51:00,190 --> 00:51:07,141 Surely this is guesswork, not science. The ancient hieroglyphs are silent. 594 00:51:11,230 --> 00:51:13,346 There was another cartouche at Abu Simbel. 595 00:51:20,830 --> 00:51:25,381 We have the M and the S. But what is this bird? 596 00:51:26,870 --> 00:51:33,059 To me it looks like the Egyptian ibis. A bird associated with which god? 597 00:51:33,510 --> 00:51:38,061 - Thoth. - Exactly, Professor Sacy. 598 00:51:39,670 --> 00:51:44,300 Another symbolic hieroglyph that also provides us with a sound. 599 00:51:44,390 --> 00:51:46,950 The sound that you have so eloquently pronounced. 600 00:51:48,150 --> 00:51:55,022 Put these sounds together and we have Thoth-Mo-Sis. Tuthmosis. 601 00:51:55,950 --> 00:52:02,344 The name of pharaohs who ruled 1,500 years before Alexander the Great conquered Egypt. 602 00:52:02,430 --> 00:52:04,148 (Murmuring) 603 00:52:07,670 --> 00:52:12,983 What this means, gentlemen, is that hieroglyphs are the script of a spoken language. 604 00:52:13,910 --> 00:52:16,982 With further study, we may be able to read all hieroglyphs 605 00:52:17,070 --> 00:52:20,426 back to the beginning of ancient Egyptian civilisation. 606 00:52:21,630 --> 00:52:24,622 Knowledge of this hidden time may provide us with the answers 607 00:52:24,710 --> 00:52:27,463 of questions that have long troubled us. 608 00:52:27,950 --> 00:52:32,023 For example, the exact origins of the world. 609 00:53:15,190 --> 00:53:18,341 Monsieur Champollion? Thomas Young. 610 00:53:19,790 --> 00:53:22,350 - We meet at last. - Congratulations. 611 00:53:22,430 --> 00:53:25,183 You've done well to extend my hieroglyphic alphabet. 612 00:53:26,110 --> 00:53:29,785 But as you said, this theory of yours is still untested. 613 00:53:29,870 --> 00:53:34,705 Oh, I fully intend to test it on every papyrus and document I can find. 614 00:53:34,790 --> 00:53:38,863 My dream is to go to Egypt and read from the tombs and monuments themselves. 615 00:53:39,910 --> 00:53:44,381 - This is just the beginning. - Well, we shall see. 616 00:53:45,630 --> 00:53:50,420 You seem to have staked your entire life's work and reputation on proving this theory. 617 00:53:51,310 --> 00:53:54,939 What can I say? Good luck to you, Monsieur Champollion. 618 00:54:09,750 --> 00:54:13,663 Champollion has yet to prove that he can read all hieroglyphs. 619 00:54:13,750 --> 00:54:17,140 That's little comfort to the Church, Professor Sacy. 620 00:54:17,230 --> 00:54:19,027 I've heard enough to know 621 00:54:19,110 --> 00:54:23,661 that this man has the power to undermine all of us. 622 00:54:23,750 --> 00:54:25,547 He must be stopped.