In 1798, the young French General Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. After successfully taking Alexandria, he ordered the reconstruction of a fort at the nearby city of Rosetta. As his soldiers did the back-breaking work of digging fortifications in the blazing sun, they uncovered an archaeological treasure that would prove to be the key to Egypt's past - the Rosetta Stone.

Dan is joined by Egyptologist and writer Dr Chris Naunton to tell us what exactly was written on this vital relic, and why it mattered.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann, and edited by Max Carrey.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off for 3 months using code ‘DANSNOW’.

We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.