Hieroglyphs at the British Museum review – a fascinating show about how the code was cracked

Senior conservator Stephanie Vasiliou prepares the Rosetta Stone (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Many of us like nothing more than an Egyptian exhibition, preferably featuring mummies. But I had doubts about the British Museum’s show Hieroglyphs, which delves into the story of how these ancient symbols was unlocked.

For all its importance – and 2,500 academics have signed a petition to call for its repatriation to Egypt – the Rosetta Stone isn’t terribly prepossessing. And a series of hieroglyphic texts, however fascinating, can’t, I thought, really make for compelling viewing.