1 00:00:01,510 --> 00:00:02,820 Our history is no more 2 00:00:02,820 --> 00:00:05,440 than a series of incredible events. 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,560 Every one of us can influence its course. 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,310 (dramatic music) 5 00:00:29,417 --> 00:00:31,626 The most infinitesimal of our decisions 6 00:00:31,626 --> 00:00:34,591 can influence the future of humanity. 7 00:00:34,591 --> 00:00:38,312 To know the past is to foresee the future. 8 00:00:38,312 --> 00:00:41,973 2018, Silicon Valley, California. 9 00:00:43,330 --> 00:00:45,920 In the third basement of this private museum, 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:47,920 the powerful deep learning algorithms 11 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,740 of billionaire Adrian Bren 12 00:00:49,740 --> 00:00:51,993 are about to achieve their objective, 13 00:00:51,993 --> 00:00:55,713 the decryption of the Egyptian hieroglyphics. 14 00:00:56,980 --> 00:00:58,620 At the beginning of the 19th century, 15 00:00:58,620 --> 00:01:02,300 while the Egyptian campaign is turning into a fiasco, 16 00:01:02,300 --> 00:01:05,770 the French scientists overlook the Rosetta Stone. 17 00:01:05,770 --> 00:01:07,980 During the two centuries that follow, 18 00:01:07,980 --> 00:01:10,940 Egypt's antique monuments are at the mercy of looters 19 00:01:10,940 --> 00:01:12,850 and private collections are enriched 20 00:01:12,850 --> 00:01:15,640 at the detriment of national museums. 21 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:17,900 Today, having paid the highest price 22 00:01:17,900 --> 00:01:20,250 on the black market for the precious stone, 23 00:01:20,250 --> 00:01:23,331 the billionaire was about to make history. 24 00:01:23,331 --> 00:01:26,580 But none of that ever happened. 25 00:01:26,580 --> 00:01:29,939 In 1799, a small grain of providential sand 26 00:01:29,939 --> 00:01:33,633 will allow us to pierce the secret of the hieroglyphics. 27 00:01:38,167 --> 00:01:43,130 July 21st, 1798, Battle of the Pyramids. 28 00:01:43,130 --> 00:01:46,173 General Bonaparte just conquered Egypt. 29 00:01:47,140 --> 00:01:51,739 July 15th, 1799, Lieutenant Bouchard 30 00:01:51,739 --> 00:01:55,543 accidentally discovers an impressive Egyptian stone. 31 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:00,869 September 14, 1822, Jean-Francois Champollion 32 00:02:00,869 --> 00:02:04,881 manages to unlock the mystery of hieroglyphics. 33 00:02:04,881 --> 00:02:08,770 These three inexplicably linked events 34 00:02:08,770 --> 00:02:11,830 are key moments in the decoding of hieroglyphics, 35 00:02:11,830 --> 00:02:14,333 opening the path to Egyptology. 36 00:02:16,667 --> 00:02:21,667 December 23rd, 1790, Figeac, France. 37 00:02:22,230 --> 00:02:25,070 Jean-Francois Champollion is born 38 00:02:25,070 --> 00:02:27,683 in a troubled political context. 39 00:02:27,683 --> 00:02:30,450 The previous year in Paris, 40 00:02:30,450 --> 00:02:33,213 armed revolutionists stormed the Bastille. 41 00:02:35,300 --> 00:02:38,843 Following that, France enters a period of revolution. 42 00:02:38,843 --> 00:02:41,630 The European monarchs unite in an effort 43 00:02:41,630 --> 00:02:45,133 to squash the dangerous ideas of liberty and equality. 44 00:02:47,020 --> 00:02:50,230 The Young Republic is fighting on all fronts 45 00:02:50,230 --> 00:02:52,423 in the context of total chaos. 46 00:02:54,060 --> 00:02:56,786 Time passes, and while little Champollion 47 00:02:56,786 --> 00:02:59,480 is learning to read at a very young age, 48 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,890 governments fall one after the other. 49 00:03:01,890 --> 00:03:05,090 The revolutionary terror hovers over the countryside, 50 00:03:05,090 --> 00:03:08,250 and the guillotine prunes the political landscape. 51 00:03:08,250 --> 00:03:10,470 England, leader of successive, 52 00:03:10,470 --> 00:03:15,263 anti-revolutionary coalitions, is the national enemy. 53 00:03:15,263 --> 00:03:18,520 But it is protected by the channel. 54 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,617 The island is beyond the reach of the revolutionary armies, 55 00:03:21,617 --> 00:03:24,640 so they find a different path. 56 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:28,330 An invasion of Egypt could compromise the route to India 57 00:03:28,330 --> 00:03:30,373 and threaten British trade interests. 58 00:03:31,930 --> 00:03:35,560 At this time, Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire, 59 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,700 but the Sublime Porte, riddled with corruption, 60 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:41,700 could only exercise theoretical control. 61 00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:45,446 The real power was in the hands of the Mamluks. 62 00:03:45,446 --> 00:03:47,890 Crossing the Mediterranean controlled 63 00:03:47,890 --> 00:03:50,993 by the Royal Navy is a complicated endeavor. 64 00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:56,780 To lead this dangerous mission, 65 00:03:56,780 --> 00:03:59,200 they chose an officer who has quickly risen 66 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,737 through the ranks, General Bonaparte. 67 00:04:01,737 --> 00:04:05,320 Young, dynamic, and aggressive, 68 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,460 Bonaparte is convinced by the ideas of the revolution 69 00:04:08,460 --> 00:04:11,250 and completely dedicated to his country. 70 00:04:11,250 --> 00:04:14,120 In record time, and completely in secret, 71 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:18,195 Bonaparte manages to assemble an army of 40,000 soldiers. 72 00:04:18,195 --> 00:04:20,649 And that's not all. 73 00:04:20,649 --> 00:04:23,560 Passionate about math and a personal member 74 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,350 of the Institute of Sciences, 75 00:04:25,350 --> 00:04:28,550 he asks the eminent mathematician, Gaspard Monge, 76 00:04:28,550 --> 00:04:31,760 to organize a commission of scientists and artists 77 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,743 to accompany him to Egypt. 78 00:04:33,743 --> 00:04:35,300 (people murmuring) 79 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:37,278 Beyond the military considerations, 80 00:04:37,278 --> 00:04:40,933 this would be a scientific and cultural expedition. 81 00:04:41,770 --> 00:04:45,470 In total, no less than 167 savants join 82 00:04:45,470 --> 00:04:47,460 the adventure without knowing how long 83 00:04:47,460 --> 00:04:49,886 it would take or exactly where they would go. 84 00:04:49,886 --> 00:04:53,956 May 19th, 1798, mathematicians, chemists, 85 00:04:53,956 --> 00:04:56,287 surveyors, doctors, architects, 86 00:04:56,287 --> 00:04:58,830 painters and botanists set out 87 00:04:58,830 --> 00:05:01,242 side-by-side with the revolutionary troops 88 00:05:01,242 --> 00:05:03,533 for the land of the pharaohs. 89 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,433 Welcome to the memory of humanity. 90 00:05:12,690 --> 00:05:16,181 Every historical event, regardless of how small, 91 00:05:16,181 --> 00:05:18,433 is recorded and connected. 92 00:05:19,820 --> 00:05:23,857 You only need to change one to upset all the others. 93 00:05:23,857 --> 00:05:26,840 Here, we are able to control time, 94 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:29,760 analyze and compare billions of events, 95 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,180 in order to rewrite history in infinite ways. 96 00:05:33,180 --> 00:05:36,830 Let's go back to the dawn of the 19th century. 97 00:05:36,830 --> 00:05:40,510 No one, not even in Egypt, is able to decipher 98 00:05:40,510 --> 00:05:44,610 the innumerable texts carved in the tombs of the pharaohs, 99 00:05:44,610 --> 00:05:48,340 or on obelisks that guard the entrance to the temples. 100 00:05:48,340 --> 00:05:50,910 Egyptian know almost nothing about 101 00:05:50,910 --> 00:05:53,393 their extensive ancient heritage. 102 00:05:54,750 --> 00:05:58,020 Egyptian civilization, from the height of its millennia 103 00:05:58,020 --> 00:06:01,803 of existence, has almost disappeared from memory. 104 00:06:03,220 --> 00:06:06,940 From Easter Island to the Central American empires, 105 00:06:06,940 --> 00:06:10,330 to the Celts, there are significant parts of history 106 00:06:10,330 --> 00:06:13,043 that remain mysterious, even today. 107 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,210 Others have disappeared forever, 108 00:06:17,210 --> 00:06:20,073 and their very existence has been forgotten. 109 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,530 This makes one pause for thought. 110 00:06:23,530 --> 00:06:27,480 So matter how strong and enduring a society might be, 111 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:29,570 a shift in the walls of fate can 112 00:06:29,570 --> 00:06:31,893 still make it disappear forever. 113 00:06:33,530 --> 00:06:35,760 On the scale of humankind, 114 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,923 civilizations are fragile and awfully ephemeral. 115 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,433 None of them are safe from oblivion. 116 00:06:45,327 --> 00:06:48,077 (people yelling) 117 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,745 November, 1798. 118 00:06:51,745 --> 00:06:54,563 Jean-Francois Champollion enters school. 119 00:06:55,780 --> 00:06:58,280 This strong-willed, young student 120 00:06:58,280 --> 00:07:00,980 prefers Latin and Greek lessons 121 00:07:00,980 --> 00:07:03,303 and turns his back on math classes. 122 00:07:04,930 --> 00:07:08,610 This is just one of the first steps in the long love affair 123 00:07:08,610 --> 00:07:11,273 between Champollion and ancient languages. 124 00:07:15,310 --> 00:07:18,930 A few months earlier, hundreds of nautical miles from there, 125 00:07:18,930 --> 00:07:22,330 General Bonaparte managed to evade the English lookouts 126 00:07:22,330 --> 00:07:25,223 and seized the city of Alexandria. 127 00:07:29,140 --> 00:07:32,130 July 21st, on the Banks of the River Nile, 128 00:07:32,130 --> 00:07:35,133 he defeated the Mamluk tribes of Murad Bey. 129 00:07:36,170 --> 00:07:38,430 During an epic battle not far 130 00:07:38,430 --> 00:07:40,590 from the Great Pyramids of Giza, 131 00:07:40,590 --> 00:07:43,040 the French soldiers opened the road to Cairo 132 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,660 by firing their pistols. (soldiers yelling) 133 00:07:46,660 --> 00:07:50,253 Within a few months, General Bonaparte conquers Egypt. 134 00:07:51,181 --> 00:07:53,760 (dramatic orchestral music) 135 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,140 From then on, the scientific commission 136 00:07:56,140 --> 00:07:58,990 explores every inch of the country. 137 00:07:58,990 --> 00:08:02,120 The Egyptian Institute, newly created in Cairo, 138 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,170 methodically inventories everything found 139 00:08:04,170 --> 00:08:08,053 with in the country and lays the first stones of Egyptology. 140 00:08:09,424 --> 00:08:11,970 (canons firing) (people yelling) 141 00:08:11,970 --> 00:08:13,900 But the pressure from the British fleet 142 00:08:13,900 --> 00:08:16,270 is growing stronger and stronger. 143 00:08:16,270 --> 00:08:19,120 On August 1st, the Admiral Nelson's squadron 144 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,510 destroyed the French fleet in the harbor of Aboukir, 145 00:08:22,510 --> 00:08:25,633 destroying all hopes of returning to France. 146 00:08:27,247 --> 00:08:29,722 Bonaparte is at an impasse. 147 00:08:29,722 --> 00:08:32,313 He is forced to remain in Egypt. 148 00:08:33,910 --> 00:08:35,840 Consequently, he commands his men 149 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:37,570 to restore coastal fortifications 150 00:08:37,570 --> 00:08:39,810 in places like the city El Rachid, 151 00:08:39,810 --> 00:08:41,793 renamed Rosette in French. 152 00:08:43,290 --> 00:08:45,900 July 15th, 1799. 153 00:08:45,900 --> 00:08:48,320 While working, Lieutenant Bouchard's men 154 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:50,543 dislodge a heavy, black stone. 155 00:08:52,490 --> 00:08:55,750 The stone, which was intended as building material, 156 00:08:55,750 --> 00:08:57,983 immediately intrigues the lieutenant. 157 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,697 Polytechnician and reader of Ancient Greek, 158 00:09:01,697 --> 00:09:03,910 the officer immediately understands 159 00:09:03,910 --> 00:09:06,280 the importance of the discovery. 160 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:07,830 Under a layer of dust, 161 00:09:07,830 --> 00:09:10,769 he identifies some Greek inscriptions. 162 00:09:10,769 --> 00:09:13,241 But the stone has two others, 163 00:09:13,241 --> 00:09:16,162 carved using different systems of writing. 164 00:09:16,162 --> 00:09:19,191 The lieutenant alerts his superiors. 165 00:09:19,191 --> 00:09:21,880 Quickly sent to Cairo, the stone, 166 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,080 from then on called the Rosetta Stone, 167 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,800 is the object of everyone's attention. 168 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,010 In addition to Greek, 169 00:09:28,010 --> 00:09:30,553 the two other writing systems are identified. 170 00:09:30,553 --> 00:09:34,763 The stone contains Demotic and hieroglyphic symbols. 171 00:09:37,220 --> 00:09:39,260 What is even more important, 172 00:09:39,260 --> 00:09:41,560 the Greek text, quickly deciphered, 173 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:43,110 indicates that the three texts 174 00:09:43,110 --> 00:09:46,340 are in fact the translations of the same decree 175 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,690 that came to unlock the secret 176 00:09:49,690 --> 00:09:52,023 of the pharaoh's sacred writings. 177 00:09:53,340 --> 00:09:55,960 To facilitate its study, they decided to make 178 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,240 a copy of the texts in case the stone 179 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,263 falls into the hands of the English. 180 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,993 We have arrived at the point of divergence. 181 00:10:05,860 --> 00:10:08,560 A point of divergence is a key moment, 182 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:10,662 a crossroads in our history where our world 183 00:10:10,662 --> 00:10:13,943 can swing from one side to the other. 184 00:10:14,970 --> 00:10:17,630 The Rosetta Stone is a stone fragment 185 00:10:17,630 --> 00:10:20,280 engraved with a decree promulgated 186 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:25,010 by Pharaoh Ptolemy V in 196 BC. 187 00:10:25,010 --> 00:10:28,059 The same text was transcribed three times, 188 00:10:28,059 --> 00:10:30,310 in hieroglyphics at the top, 189 00:10:30,310 --> 00:10:34,283 in Demotic in the center, and in Greek at the bottom. 190 00:10:34,283 --> 00:10:36,577 In theory, understanding the content 191 00:10:36,577 --> 00:10:39,200 of one text allows one to decipher 192 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,150 the content of the two others. 193 00:10:41,150 --> 00:10:44,020 The stone was discovered by an educated officer 194 00:10:44,020 --> 00:10:46,540 who could actually read Greek. 195 00:10:46,540 --> 00:10:48,880 This unique occasion fell into the hands 196 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,440 of one of the rare people who was capable 197 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:53,040 of understanding its importance. 198 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,370 As Louis Pasteur once said, 199 00:10:56,370 --> 00:11:00,143 chance only favors the prepared minds. 200 00:11:00,143 --> 00:11:04,050 Someone without in-depth knowledge of the ancient languages 201 00:11:04,050 --> 00:11:06,113 would probably have used that block of stone 202 00:11:06,113 --> 00:11:09,833 as backfill without anyone ever knowing it existed. 203 00:11:11,060 --> 00:11:13,694 Without the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, 204 00:11:13,694 --> 00:11:15,840 it is possible that Egyptology 205 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,380 would have never become so popular. 206 00:11:18,380 --> 00:11:20,870 Today, Egyptian history would probably 207 00:11:20,870 --> 00:11:24,058 still be largely ignored or neglected. 208 00:11:24,058 --> 00:11:27,550 Falling victim to looting by treasure hunters, 209 00:11:27,550 --> 00:11:29,700 the Egyptian heritage would be scattered 210 00:11:29,700 --> 00:11:33,273 amongst private collections all around the globe. 211 00:11:36,810 --> 00:11:39,020 March, 1801. 212 00:11:39,020 --> 00:11:43,280 Champollion, 10 years old, joins his brother in Grenoble. 213 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,170 He begins studying Ancient Greek and Latin, 214 00:11:46,170 --> 00:11:49,816 as well as Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, and Chaldean, 215 00:11:49,816 --> 00:11:52,930 then moves on to Persian and Coptic. 216 00:11:52,930 --> 00:11:54,953 Archeology is his passion. 217 00:11:55,953 --> 00:11:59,993 In 1804, he studies at the Imperial High School. 218 00:12:01,208 --> 00:12:03,738 Since the republic has become an empire, 219 00:12:03,738 --> 00:12:08,543 France has a new leader, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. 220 00:12:10,490 --> 00:12:11,860 Five years earlier, 221 00:12:11,860 --> 00:12:14,720 evading the maritime patrols of the Royal Navy, 222 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,663 the General of the Republic fled from Egypt. 223 00:12:18,690 --> 00:12:22,270 November 10th, 1799, he positions himself 224 00:12:22,270 --> 00:12:23,760 at the head of the country through 225 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:25,533 an audacious military coup. 226 00:12:28,460 --> 00:12:31,950 Thanks to savvy messaging, his scientific triumphs 227 00:12:31,950 --> 00:12:35,123 overshadow the failure of his military campaign in Egypt. 228 00:12:39,542 --> 00:12:42,258 But the repatriation of the Scientific Commission, 229 00:12:42,258 --> 00:12:45,010 loaded down by its numerous documents, 230 00:12:45,010 --> 00:12:47,490 notes, sketches, and Egyptian artifacts, 231 00:12:47,490 --> 00:12:49,960 is not achieved without a compromise. 232 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,424 The English fleet offers its safe return 233 00:12:52,424 --> 00:12:55,563 in exchange for all of the scientific works. 234 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,710 A terrible sacrifice. (people yelling) 235 00:13:01,710 --> 00:13:05,010 After tough negotiations, the French are allowed 236 00:13:05,010 --> 00:13:07,050 to keep their precious research, 237 00:13:07,050 --> 00:13:08,810 but the British draw the line 238 00:13:08,810 --> 00:13:11,790 at the most attractive archeological finds, 239 00:13:11,790 --> 00:13:13,543 especially the Rosetta Stone. 240 00:13:15,630 --> 00:13:17,609 This is an immeasurable loss. 241 00:13:17,609 --> 00:13:20,930 But inside the bags of the French scholars, 242 00:13:20,930 --> 00:13:23,700 the copies of the stone have been happily preserved, 243 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,040 alongside Denon's fabulous drawings 244 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,413 and other meticulous descriptions of Egypt. 245 00:13:32,220 --> 00:13:36,250 From 1802 to 1826, these precious items 246 00:13:36,250 --> 00:13:39,770 are patiently reassembled in a monumental work, 247 00:13:39,770 --> 00:13:41,653 The Description of Egypt. 248 00:13:43,900 --> 00:13:46,350 The Rosetta Stone immediately attracts 249 00:13:46,350 --> 00:13:48,750 the attention of the scientific community, 250 00:13:48,750 --> 00:13:51,693 especially that of the Englishman, Thomas Young. 251 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:56,013 The scientist immediately gets to work. 252 00:13:57,150 --> 00:13:59,635 His goal, make the stone speak 253 00:13:59,635 --> 00:14:02,563 and unlock the secrets of the hieroglyphics. 254 00:14:03,500 --> 00:14:05,644 In 1808, one of the copies of the stone 255 00:14:05,644 --> 00:14:08,823 falls into the hands of the 17-year-old Champollion. 256 00:14:09,988 --> 00:14:13,569 In 1814, he writes to the Royal Society 257 00:14:13,569 --> 00:14:15,983 asking for a better transcription. 258 00:14:16,890 --> 00:14:19,330 Thomas Young, then secretary 259 00:14:19,330 --> 00:14:21,310 of the prestigious organization, 260 00:14:21,310 --> 00:14:24,063 discovers that he has a competitor in France. 261 00:14:25,860 --> 00:14:29,350 The response from Young to Champollion is clear. 262 00:14:29,350 --> 00:14:31,770 The French transcriptions have the same quality 263 00:14:31,770 --> 00:14:35,210 as the English ones, so there's no need to send anything. 264 00:14:35,210 --> 00:14:38,898 Soon, Champollion hears about Young's research. 265 00:14:38,898 --> 00:14:41,283 He has a rival in London. 266 00:14:44,675 --> 00:14:48,377 One writing can be hiding another. 267 00:14:48,377 --> 00:14:51,330 When the Rosetta Stone was discovered, 268 00:14:51,330 --> 00:14:53,560 the comprehension of Egyptian hieroglyphics 269 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,600 had been lost since the end of the Roman Empire, 270 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,160 even though it had previously been 271 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,040 used for over three millennia. 272 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,372 Reserved for scribes, a small, efficient cast, 273 00:15:04,372 --> 00:15:06,590 the secrets of hieroglyphic writing 274 00:15:06,590 --> 00:15:09,023 was only known to a handful of people. 275 00:15:09,973 --> 00:15:14,973 In 391, the Roman emperor, Theodosius I, 276 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,060 condemned the sacred science to oblivion 277 00:15:18,060 --> 00:15:21,450 when he ordered the closing of the pagan temples. 278 00:15:21,450 --> 00:15:24,210 Hieroglyphic writing, designed to be carved, 279 00:15:24,210 --> 00:15:26,990 is mainly figurative, easily recognizable 280 00:15:26,990 --> 00:15:29,728 by its symbols representing objects. 281 00:15:29,728 --> 00:15:34,183 Over time, it has simplified, tending towards abstraction. 282 00:15:35,184 --> 00:15:37,600 It becomes progressively linear, 283 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:39,720 then cursive so it can be inscribed 284 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,403 more quickly on parchment or papyrus. 285 00:15:42,403 --> 00:15:46,270 The writing becomes even more simplified with Demotic, 286 00:15:46,270 --> 00:15:49,220 which is a popular writing used in daily life, 287 00:15:49,220 --> 00:15:52,220 a far cry from its hieroglyphic ancestry. 288 00:15:52,220 --> 00:15:54,010 Finally, Coptic appears, 289 00:15:54,010 --> 00:15:55,810 which is based on the Greek alphabet, 290 00:15:55,810 --> 00:15:58,940 and still used today as a liturgical language. 291 00:15:58,940 --> 00:16:00,620 In Champollion's time, 292 00:16:00,620 --> 00:16:04,361 the Egyptians use another language, Arabic. 293 00:16:04,361 --> 00:16:07,470 For researchers, deciphering hieroglyphics 294 00:16:07,470 --> 00:16:09,690 means traveling through time across 295 00:16:09,690 --> 00:16:14,690 various linguistic layers, a true archeological feat. 296 00:16:15,450 --> 00:16:17,350 Knowing the intermediary languages 297 00:16:17,350 --> 00:16:19,943 becomes a huge advantage. 298 00:16:23,530 --> 00:16:26,133 Young makes the first notable advances. 299 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,930 He suggests that Demotic is not simply alphabetic, 300 00:16:30,930 --> 00:16:34,310 but a mixture between hieroglyphics and an alphabet. 301 00:16:34,310 --> 00:16:37,660 Thanks to the discoveries of other researchers, 302 00:16:37,660 --> 00:16:39,190 he also knows that the cartouche 303 00:16:39,190 --> 00:16:41,670 with multiple hieroglyphics actual contain 304 00:16:41,670 --> 00:16:43,778 the names of the pharaohs. 305 00:16:43,778 --> 00:16:46,240 His mathematical method pushes him 306 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,383 to dismiss the signs he deems unnecessary. 307 00:16:52,570 --> 00:16:55,927 Young seems to be a step ahead. 308 00:16:55,927 --> 00:17:00,927 (men yelling) (guns firing) 309 00:17:02,590 --> 00:17:06,233 June 18th, 1815, Battle of Waterloo. 310 00:17:08,630 --> 00:17:11,530 Napoleon's army, after fighting alone 311 00:17:11,530 --> 00:17:13,920 against all of Europe, is vanquished 312 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,517 by a coalition led by England. 313 00:17:16,517 --> 00:17:19,860 (dramatic orchestral music) 314 00:17:19,860 --> 00:17:23,300 Napoleon advocates a few days later. 315 00:17:23,300 --> 00:17:25,700 Champollion, a supporter of the emperor, 316 00:17:25,700 --> 00:17:27,543 is placed under surveillance. 317 00:17:28,795 --> 00:17:32,660 In March, 1816, he is forced to leave the city 318 00:17:32,660 --> 00:17:35,543 and has to stop his research for one year. 319 00:17:36,389 --> 00:17:39,443 Young continues the race all alone. 320 00:17:41,090 --> 00:17:43,660 The Englishman publishes an article 321 00:17:43,660 --> 00:17:45,640 in the Encyclopedia Britannica. 322 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:46,950 It claims to have discovered 323 00:17:46,950 --> 00:17:49,730 the principles of hieroglyphic writing, 324 00:17:49,730 --> 00:17:52,227 but in reality, he can successfully identify 325 00:17:52,227 --> 00:17:55,491 the name of Pharaoh Ptolemy thanks to cross checks, 326 00:17:55,491 --> 00:17:58,953 but he is still unable to read the hieroglyphics. 327 00:18:01,787 --> 00:18:04,733 He has not found the deciphering key. 328 00:18:06,199 --> 00:18:09,253 Champollion is going to go much further. 329 00:18:11,900 --> 00:18:15,162 The Frenchman is persuaded that within the same phrase, 330 00:18:15,162 --> 00:18:19,580 a sign can be used as a symbol to designate a word 331 00:18:19,580 --> 00:18:22,193 or phonetically to designate a sound. 332 00:18:23,940 --> 00:18:26,899 According to him, hieroglyphics are a mixture 333 00:18:26,899 --> 00:18:28,863 of ideograms and phonograms. 334 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:33,261 Added to the block containing the names of known pharaohs, 335 00:18:33,261 --> 00:18:35,410 this major discovery will help 336 00:18:35,410 --> 00:18:38,510 him isolate 12 phonetic signs. 337 00:18:38,510 --> 00:18:39,823 It is the beginning. 338 00:18:41,150 --> 00:18:43,100 On the morning of September 14th, 1822, 339 00:18:44,630 --> 00:18:46,750 he receives a reproduction of a cartouche 340 00:18:46,750 --> 00:18:48,973 from one of the temples of Abu Simbel. 341 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,733 He begins studying it immediately. 342 00:18:57,540 --> 00:19:00,320 Thanks to his previous work, he already knows 343 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,353 the two last signs, a double S. 344 00:19:04,950 --> 00:19:07,610 Following his theory, the first sign, 345 00:19:07,610 --> 00:19:10,620 very widespread and representative of the sun, 346 00:19:10,620 --> 00:19:13,520 could be read as the symbol of the God of the Sun, 347 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:17,870 or by his phonetic equivalent in Coptic, Ra. 348 00:19:17,870 --> 00:19:20,340 The sign in the middle is also decipherable 349 00:19:20,340 --> 00:19:22,910 thanks to his precious knowledge of Coptic, 350 00:19:22,910 --> 00:19:24,910 an advantage that Young lacked. 351 00:19:24,910 --> 00:19:27,070 It reads bring to the world, 352 00:19:27,070 --> 00:19:29,770 which is pronounced mice or meese. 353 00:19:29,770 --> 00:19:32,850 Combined, this reveals Ra-Mes-S, 354 00:19:32,850 --> 00:19:35,460 or phonetically speaking, Ramses, 355 00:19:35,460 --> 00:19:39,170 which signified Ra is the one who bore him. 356 00:19:39,170 --> 00:19:42,218 For the first time in 1,400 years, 357 00:19:42,218 --> 00:19:45,560 on that day in 1822, someone is able 358 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,010 to read the name of the powerful pharaoh 359 00:19:48,010 --> 00:19:50,163 using hieroglyphic symbols. 360 00:19:51,629 --> 00:19:54,460 The legend says that Champollion arrived 361 00:19:54,460 --> 00:19:56,990 at his brother's house and screamed, "I've got it," 362 00:19:56,990 --> 00:19:59,033 and then passed out from exhaustion. 363 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:03,550 A few days later, he details his discovery 364 00:20:03,550 --> 00:20:05,877 in a letter to the (speaking in foreign language). 365 00:20:05,877 --> 00:20:07,097 (Young yells) 366 00:20:07,097 --> 00:20:10,531 Thomas Young is offended that he is only mentioned twice 367 00:20:10,531 --> 00:20:12,750 in the publication by Champollion, 368 00:20:12,750 --> 00:20:14,370 a young, pretentious Frenchman 369 00:20:14,370 --> 00:20:16,940 who is 17 years younger than him. 370 00:20:16,940 --> 00:20:20,239 In an anonymous letter, he describes Champollion work 371 00:20:20,239 --> 00:20:22,563 as an extension of his own. 372 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:26,880 Making history. 373 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,310 Thomas Young, after putting both his reputation 374 00:20:30,310 --> 00:20:33,080 and a great deal of energy into the fight, 375 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,249 is finally bested by a young, French scholar. 376 00:20:36,249 --> 00:20:40,860 Vexed, Young redoubles his efforts to make his work known, 377 00:20:40,860 --> 00:20:45,062 arguing that Champollion's discovery is largely based on it. 378 00:20:45,062 --> 00:20:47,302 One fact is obvious. 379 00:20:47,302 --> 00:20:50,230 All of scientific research is based 380 00:20:50,230 --> 00:20:52,943 on the sum of knowledge accumulated by others. 381 00:20:54,594 --> 00:20:57,980 In 1809, after the long process 382 00:20:57,980 --> 00:21:00,710 of classifying all the vertebrate species, 383 00:21:00,710 --> 00:21:03,110 the French naturalist Lamarck proposed 384 00:21:03,110 --> 00:21:06,720 a theory around the evolution of species. 385 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,030 It is based in part on principles 386 00:21:09,030 --> 00:21:11,570 already developed by Aristotle. 387 00:21:11,570 --> 00:21:15,520 50 years later, Charles Darwin completes this theory 388 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,620 by adding the notion of natural selection. 389 00:21:18,620 --> 00:21:23,003 In 1859, he publishes On the Origin of Species, 390 00:21:23,003 --> 00:21:25,942 a major scientific work, and a foundation text 391 00:21:25,942 --> 00:21:28,900 explaining the principles of evolution. 392 00:21:28,900 --> 00:21:31,898 Today, everybody knows the name Darwin. 393 00:21:31,898 --> 00:21:35,733 But how much of his fame is owed to Lamarck? 394 00:21:37,844 --> 00:21:39,110 (soft, dramatic music) 395 00:21:39,110 --> 00:21:40,720 1826. 396 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,250 Champollion is named curator in charge 397 00:21:43,250 --> 00:21:46,460 of the Egyptian collections at the Louvre Museum. 398 00:21:46,460 --> 00:21:48,893 It is a huge honor. 399 00:21:50,158 --> 00:21:54,333 Enriching the collections becomes Champollion's priority. 400 00:21:56,563 --> 00:22:01,140 In 1828, Champollion finally realizes his dream. 401 00:22:01,140 --> 00:22:02,400 He takes his first steps 402 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,249 on Egyptian sands for a scientific mission. 403 00:22:06,249 --> 00:22:09,850 He goes up the Nile until the Second Cataract, 404 00:22:09,850 --> 00:22:12,873 personally verifying the validity of his work. 405 00:22:14,541 --> 00:22:17,130 After being satisfied for years 406 00:22:17,130 --> 00:22:19,096 with copies and reproductions, 407 00:22:19,096 --> 00:22:21,970 he finally has multiple examples 408 00:22:21,970 --> 00:22:24,330 of hieroglyphics engraved or painted 409 00:22:24,330 --> 00:22:27,983 on temples, statues, sarcophagi, papyrus. 410 00:22:28,963 --> 00:22:32,560 When he returns in 1830, he is elected 411 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,190 to the (speaking in foreign language) 412 00:22:35,190 --> 00:22:36,770 that obtains the first chair 413 00:22:36,770 --> 00:22:38,940 of Egyptian archeology in the world, 414 00:22:38,940 --> 00:22:42,143 created specially for him at the College de France. 415 00:22:43,140 --> 00:22:46,278 He gives his inaugural lecture in 1831, 416 00:22:46,278 --> 00:22:51,260 but sickness takes him from the world on March 4th, 1832. 417 00:22:51,260 --> 00:22:53,593 He was only 41 years old. 418 00:22:55,780 --> 00:22:58,703 He never saw the Rosetta Stone in person, 419 00:23:00,180 --> 00:23:03,030 but he accomplished his goals. 420 00:23:03,030 --> 00:23:05,090 Entered in the history of humankind 421 00:23:05,090 --> 00:23:07,290 as the decipherer of hieroglyphics, 422 00:23:07,290 --> 00:23:09,180 this young scholar who was passionate 423 00:23:09,180 --> 00:23:12,810 about the Orient opened up the path to Egyptology. 424 00:23:12,810 --> 00:23:14,730 It's thanks to him that today we know 425 00:23:14,730 --> 00:23:19,730 so much about the 3,500 years of Ancient Egyptian history. 426 00:23:19,799 --> 00:23:24,760 And yet, there are still so many mysteries to be discovered. 427 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,063 But that is another story. 428 00:23:29,128 --> 00:23:31,455 Who is legitimate? 429 00:23:31,455 --> 00:23:36,455 In 2004, the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo 430 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,354 sent a request to the British Museum. 431 00:23:39,354 --> 00:23:43,760 Found on Egyptian soil and illegally transported to England, 432 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,713 the Rosetta Stone should be returned. 433 00:23:47,254 --> 00:23:50,160 For the London Museum, which had protected it 434 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:52,810 for over two centuries, the stone has become 435 00:23:52,810 --> 00:23:55,223 an integral part of the British heritage. 436 00:23:56,824 --> 00:24:00,236 The question of restitution for numerous objects, 437 00:24:00,236 --> 00:24:03,270 sometimes aligned with colonial domination 438 00:24:03,270 --> 00:24:05,980 or military operations can be complex. 439 00:24:05,980 --> 00:24:07,860 Before any other consideration, 440 00:24:07,860 --> 00:24:10,690 these vestiges of the past should be protected 441 00:24:10,690 --> 00:24:12,660 against time, the elements, 442 00:24:12,660 --> 00:24:15,860 and above all else, from humans. 443 00:24:15,860 --> 00:24:17,910 The sacking of churches and castles 444 00:24:17,910 --> 00:24:19,850 during the French Revolution, 445 00:24:19,850 --> 00:24:22,480 or the destruction of the temples of Palmyra by ISIS 446 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:27,163 in 2015 remind us that the heritage of humanity is fragile. 447 00:24:28,390 --> 00:24:30,650 Added to this is the less visible 448 00:24:30,650 --> 00:24:35,430 but equally destructive black market for antiquities. 449 00:24:35,430 --> 00:24:38,800 All countries are victims and actors in this. 450 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,740 The Rosetta Stone has taught us 451 00:24:40,740 --> 00:24:44,503 that each ruin can hide an immeasurable secret. 452 00:24:45,350 --> 00:24:47,053 Champollion worked for years 453 00:24:47,053 --> 00:24:50,590 on the flawed reproduction of this stone. 454 00:24:50,590 --> 00:24:52,850 The original was inaccessible because it was 455 00:24:52,850 --> 00:24:56,167 situated in a country in conflict with his own. 456 00:24:56,167 --> 00:24:59,418 Today, a simple research online allows us 457 00:24:59,418 --> 00:25:02,950 to see high definition photos of it. 458 00:25:02,950 --> 00:25:05,862 The British Museum in London, where it resides, 459 00:25:05,862 --> 00:25:09,730 offers free access to the public, for everyone. 460 00:25:09,730 --> 00:25:12,916 It is now available without restrictions. 461 00:25:12,916 --> 00:25:16,666 (dramatic orchestral music)