Final answer:
The Rosetta Stone's discovery allowed English physicist Thomas Young and French scholar Jean-François Champollion to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics, leading to significant advances in the field of Egyptology.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Deciphering of Egyptian Hieroglyphics
The discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 was pivotal for historians in decoding Egyptian writing. Egyptian scribes utilized hieroglyphics, a complex writing system comprising alphabetic signs, syllabic signs, and pictorial representations. Without the knowledge to interpret these symbols, much of ancient Egypt remained a mystery. The contribution of English physicist Thomas Young initiated the breakthrough in understanding that some hieroglyphs represented sounds. It was, however, the French scholar Jean-François Champollion who made a monumental stride by recognizing that hieroglyphs were not only symbolic but also phonetic, recording the sound of the Egyptian language.
This insight allowed Champollion to lay the foundations of knowledge regarding ancient Egyptian language and culture. The Rosetta Stone, which features inscriptions in hieroglyphics and Greek, became the key to unlocking the secrets of an ancient civilization. Prior to this, Egyptian writing had not been understood since the fourth century CE, making the work of these scholars crucial in the revival and advancement of Egyptology.