Facts about the Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone was carved in 196 BC. It is made of basalt, and is nearly four feet long, over two feet wide, and 11 inches thick. It was written in three different languages, Ancient Greek, Demotic and Hieroglyphic script. It was written in these three languages because the Ancient Egyptians wanted many civilizations to understand the message. It was important that everyone could read it, including the priests, government officials and rulers of Egypt. Greek was inscribed on it because the Ptolemy family, the current rulers at that time in Ancient Egypt, originated in Greece. The Demotic and Hieroglyphic script were the native languages of Egypt at the time, so they were also inscribed on the Rosetta Stone.