B.B.C. Article
Fresh information is being obtained on the Philae obelisk, the stone monument that played such a key role in helping to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Today, the pink granite shaft stands on the UK National Trust's Kingston Lacy estate in Dorset, where it was brought from the Nile in the 1820s.


Comparison of normal and RTI
Philae hieroglyphs pictured in normal daylight (L) and using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (R)

The obelisk's inscriptions, with those on the famous Rosetta stone, contained clues to interpret the ancient symbols.
Now, the monument is being studied anew with modern imaging techniques.
Oxford University researchers say their investigations are revealing markings that were previously too worn to be investigated properly.
"The last time anyone made a good record of what was on this stone was in 1821 when a lithograph was commissioned to celebrate the obelisk's arrival at Kingston Lacy," explained Dr Jane Masséglia from the Centre for the Study of Ancient Documents.

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