Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

5 Uncovering the Past

Name Class Date

Uncovering the Past Biography

Jean-Francois Champollion1790–1832

As you read the biography below, think about

how Champollion’s ability with languages helped

him to decipher ancient hieroglyphics.

In the early 1800s little was known about ancient

Egypt. Although the Egyptians left many records

in the form of hieroglyphics, the meaning of these

ancient symbols was a mystery to scholars. Jean-

Francois Champollion changed this. After many

years of study he was able to translate ancient

Egyptian hieroglyphics, opening a new and excit-

ing world of study for scholars. For the first time

the secrets of ancient Egyptian history and culture

could be explored. This is why Champollion is

known as the founder of modern Egyptology.

Jean-Francois Champollion was born in 1790 in

France. He received his first education at home by

his older brother. Champollion later studied in Paris

and at the age of 19 he became a history profes-

sor. He was fluent in many languages, including six

ancient oriental languages, Latin, and Greek.

At an early age Champollion became absorbed

in the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphics and

this became his passion. It was through his patient

study of the engravings on the Rosetta Stone that

Champollion eventually managed to discover the

meaning of these ancient hieroglyphics.

WHY HE MADE HISTORY Jean-Francois Champollion is known as the founder of modern Egyptology. His discoveries about ancient hieroglyphics opened the door to the modern study of ancient Egypt.

VOCABULARYhieroglyphics writing in

picture symbols

decipher figure out

demotic script a simple form of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing

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6 Uncovering the Past

Name Class Date

Jean-Francois Champollion, continued Biography

The Rosetta Stone is an ancient slab of black granite that was discovered by a French soldier in Egypt during the late 1700s. There is an engraved message on three separate sections of the stone. On each section the message is written in a differ-ent system of writing—Greek, hieroglyphics, and demotic script.

Aided by his knowledge of Greek and Coptic, a later version of the Egyptian language, Champollion translated the meaning of the hieroglyphics. He compared the Greek and the hieroglyphic sections of the stone and, after many years of careful study, he was able to devise key to decipher the hiero-glyphics. Champollion’s discoveries served as the foundation for all later translations of Egyptian hieroglyphics.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

1. Recall What object did Jean-Francois Champollion study to eventually decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics? Describe the object.

2. Draw a Conclusion Why is Champollion known as the founder of modern Egyptology?

ACTIVITY

3. Make up your own hieroglyphic symbols for letters or words and write a two- or three-sentence hieroglyphic message. Below the message, provide a key for each symbol. Find a partner in your class and trade messages and keys. Then use your keys to translate each other’s messages.

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26 Uncovering the Past

Vocabulary Builder Section 1Answers will vary but one example is:History is the study of the past. Historians study the past to understand people’s culture. Culture consists of the knowledge, beliefs, customs, and values of a group of people. One way to learn about the past is through archaeology. Through archaeology, we can learn about the ways in which people used to live, work, and fight. People leave behind artifacts like jewelry, dishes, and weapons, which provide clues about how people used to live. Fossils tell us about even earlier people. Historians use different sources of information to find clues about the way people used to live. There are two types of written sources historians use to gather this information. One of these sources is called a primary source. A primary source is an account of an event created by someone who took part in the event or witnessed the event. Examples of primary sources include court documents, treaties, letters, and diaries. The other type of written source is a secondary source. A secondary source is information gathered by someone who did not take part in or witness an event. Examples of secondary sources include history books and encyclopedias. 1. true 2. false—secondary source 3. true 4. false—primary source 5. true 6. false—archaeology

Vocabulary Builder Section 2 1. Answers will vary. climate—the average

course or condition of the weather at a place over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and pre-cipitation

2. environment—the aggregate of social, cultural, geographic, climatic, and natural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community

3. geography—a science that deals with the earth and its life; the description of land, sea, air, and the distribution of plant and animal life, including humans and their industries

4. landforms—natural features of the land’s surface

5. region—an area characterized by the prevalence of one or more geographic and natural features

6. resources—materials found in the Earth that people need and value

Biography Howard CarterWHAT DID YOU LEARN? 1. Carter discovered Tutankhamen’s tomb in

the Valley of the Kings in Egypt in 1922. 2. Possible answers: Tutankhamen’s tomb

is the greatest discovery in Egyptology because it is the finest almost intact royal tomb ever found. More than 5,000 items were recovered from it.

3. Students’ letters will vary.

Biography Jean Francois ChampollionWHAT DID YOU LEARN? 1. Champollion was able to decipher

Egyptian hieroglyphics by studying the Rosetta Stone. Possible answers: The Rosetta Stone is an ancient slab of black granite. It contains a message engraved on three separate sections of the stone in three different systems of writing; Greek, demotic script, and hieroglyphics.

2. Possible answers: Champollion is known as the founder of modern Egyptology because he first translated ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Their meanings were unknown up until then. After his discoveries, the modern study of ancient Egypt became possible.

3. Students’ messages and translations will vary.

Uncovering the Past Answer Key

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