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Ancient History British History World Wars Historic Figures Family History Hands on History History for Kids On This Day
Ancient Egypt and the Modern World
By Dr Joyce Tyldesley
Last updated 2011-02-17
The Rosetta Stone
There has long been a fascination in Britain with the world of ancient Egypt. What is it about this mysterious civilisation that so catches the imagination?
On this page
A popular subject Rich legacy Preservation Pyramids and mathematics Beneath the bandages Egyptology today Find out more
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A popular subject
Five thousand years ago the chain of independent city-states lining the River Nile united to form one long, thin country ruled by one king, or pharaoh. Almost instantly a highly distinctive culture developed. For almost 30 centuries Egypt remained the foremost nation in the Mediterranean world. Then, in 332 BC, the arrival of Alexander the Great heralded the end of the Egyptian way of life.
All ancient civilisations have contributed in some way to the development of modern society.
The unique culture was quickly buried beneath successive layers of Greek, Roman and Arabic tradition, and all knowledge of Egypt's glorious past was lost. Only the decaying stone monuments, their hieroglyphic texts now unreadable, survived as silent witnesses to a long lost civilisation.
Some 2,000 years on, however, the ancient hieroglyphs have been decoded and Egyptology - the study of ancient Egypt - is booming. At a time when Latin and ancient Greek are rapidly vanishing from the school curriculum, more and more people are choosing to read hieroglyphs in their spare time. And the Egyptian galleries of our
Accessibility links
Skip to content Skip to local navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk search Accessibility Help
History
Ancient History British History World Wars Historic Figures Family History Hands on History History for Kids On This Day
Ancient Egypt and the Modern World
By Dr Joyce Tyldesley
Last updated 2011-02-17
The Rosetta Stone
There has long been a fascination in Britain with the world of ancient Egypt. What is it about this mysterious civilisation that so catches the imagination?
On this page
A popular subject Rich legacy Preservation Pyramids and mathematics Beneath the bandages Egyptology today Find out more
Page options
Print this page
A popular subject
Five thousand years ago the chain of independent city-states lining the River Nile united to form one long, thin country ruled by one king, or pharaoh. Almost instantly a highly distinctive culture developed. For almost 30 centuries Egypt remained the foremost nation in the Mediterranean world. Then, in 332 BC, the arrival of Alexander the Great heralded the end of the Egyptian way of life.
All ancient civilisations have contributed in some way to the development of modern society.
The unique culture was quickly buried beneath successive layers of Greek, Roman and Arabic tradition, and all knowledge of Egypt's glorious past was lost. Only the decaying stone monuments, their hieroglyphic texts now unreadable, survived as silent witnesses to a long lost civilisation.
Some 2,000 years on, however, the ancient hieroglyphs have been decoded and Egyptology - the study of ancient Egypt - is booming. At a time when Latin and ancient Greek are rapidly vanishing from the school curriculum, more and more people are choosing to read hieroglyphs in their spare time. And the Egyptian galleries of our