The Rosetta Stone, e.g., is a RELIC, which is a five-letter word for an object that has survived from the past and is of historical or cultural significance. The Rosetta Stone is a granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis, Egypt in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. It is significant because it provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, which had been undecipherable for centuries.