Cartouche
Explanation
The Rosetta Stone is a granodiorite stele inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC. It features text in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek. This artifact was instrumental in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Option Analysis
- Sarcophagus is incorrect: A sarcophagus is a stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription, used in ancient civilizations like Egypt, Rome, and Greece. It is not a grammatical or orthographic feature.
- Cartouche is correct: A cartouche is an oval frame with a horizontal line at one end, used in Egyptian hieroglyphs to enclose the name of a royal figure, such as a king or queen. Scholars realized that the groups of hieroglyphs inside these oval frames on the Rosetta Stone corresponded to the royal names (specifically Ptolemy V) mentioned in the Greek text, which provided the key to deciphering the script.
- Hieroglyph is incorrect: A hieroglyph refers to the individual character or symbol used in the writing system itself, not the specific frame enclosing a name.
- Papyrus is incorrect: Papyrus is a material prepared from the pith of the papyrus plant, used in ancient Egypt for writing, painting, and making rope. It is a medium, not a symbol or frame.
Key Takeaway: In Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oval loop that specifically indicates that the enclosed text represents a royal name.