This chunk of basalt is perhaps one of the most iconic artifacts of ancient history. It's so iconic, that it's become a metaphor for "something that allows to interpret".

The Rosetta Stone has three identical blocks of text in three different languages. From top to bottom, hieroglyphics, demotic (a later Ancient Egyptian script), and finally classical greek. Until it's discovery, we couldn't translate much of egyptian script. The Rosetta Stone allowed us to translate the older scripts by keying off of names. We can read names easily enough in greek, but not in the older scripts. Thankfully, hieroglyphics encircle names in a cartouche. It looks like an oval with a line along the narrow side, perpendicular to the length of the oval. By comparing the names in greek and in the hieroglyphics, translation was possible.

Not surprisingly, this was made during the Ptolemaic Dynasty, a curious period when Ancient Egypt was under the leadership of a greek.

Sometimes you find the neatest stuff when looking at your feet. Manchester, UK.

The atrium at the British Museum. This is a very, very big open space. It spans at least three floors and almost makes a complete circle. It's the biggest indoor area I saw my entire trip.

The architecture of the place make me curious. It almost looks as if the atrium was a later edition. That the central structure was built after the bulk of the museum and then the glass roof was built afterward. The image of the geodesic ceiling meeting the classical greek columns struck me as a unique blend of new and old.

The greek goddess Aphrodite in marble. British Museum, London, UK.

An Egyptian statue of a cat in bronze. British Museum, London, UK.