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In 1799 at Rosetta, near Alexandria, an officer of the French Army found a black basalt stele bearing inscriptions in three different scripts. The Rosetta Stone was to provide the key to deciphering Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Excitement mounted among the oriental-language specialists. The Greek text which reproduced a decree of King Ptolemy V appeared to be a translation of the other two. Fully explained are the purely ideographic and phonetic scripts in the opening pages of this gloriously well illustrated history. Buried treasure, looting, intrigue and dedicated scholarship. 'Wonderful things' gleaming in the darkness, the cache of royal mummies and most wonderful of all, the tomb of Tutankhamun. Here is the complete story of the rediscovery of Ancient Egypt, a tale of extraordinary characters like Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon who braved the 'Pharoah's Curse', Belzoni, the 'Patagonian Samson', Champollion who unlocked the secrets of the hieroglyphics. It is a tale of spectacular rescue with modern technology used to save Egypt's monuments from floodwaters and the ravages of time. Documented is the first sight of Abu Simbel in 1813 by a Swiss traveller who while in Nubia was disguised as a Syrian merchant, and how the island of Philae became a victim of 20th century engineering works on the Nile; Petrie who returned to Abydos aged 69 in 1922 is pictured in a rare photograph and of course mummies, chests, collars of beads when the inner coffin was opened in 1925. Plus the Library of Alexandria, the first cross section of the Great Pyramid, the Great Temple at Karnak opened to all, the founding of the Cairo Museum and treasures aplenty. Very well illustrated 208 page softback, colour.