Egyptology

The study of ancient Egypt. Interest in the subject was aroused by the Napoleonic expedition's discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799. Various excavations continued throughout the 19th century and gradually assumed a more scientific character, largely as a result of the work of the British archaeologist Flinders Petrie from 1880 onwards and the formation of the Egyptian Exploration Fund in 1882. In 1922 another British archaeologist, Howard Carter, discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, the only royal tomb with all its treasures intact.

Special branches of Egyptology are the study of prehistoric Egypt and the search for papyri (ancient documents) preserved by the dryness of the climate; besides ancient Egyptian writings, many lost Greek and early Christian works have been recovered.