Writing is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Moreover, the invention of writing was the great step that allowed humanity to make the transition from barbarism to civilization. The moment the name of a leader or a god or a tribe—we will never know exactly which—was first carved into stone, history began. This book is about the decipherment of forgotten scripts, from ancient Egypt and Sumer to the Etruscan script. and Easter Island writing. Its pages bring to life the heroic efforts of brilliant researchers who made ancient written monuments that seemed forever silent speak, starting with Jean-François Champollion and ending with Michael Ventris. And every step of deciphering ancient writings is accompanied by unique illustrations. Compiled by Kirill Korolev. Translation from German by G.M. Bauer, I.M. Dunaevskaya (fragments from the book by I. Friedrich “Egypt and the Middle East”).