Read this excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Giblin. Following a visit to the ruins of Karnak near Theb
es, Champollion wrote in his journal: "At last I have visited the palace, or rather the city, of monuments, Karnak. . . . No nation on earth, ancient or modern, has ever conceived architecture on so noble and vast a scale. . . . The Egyptians of old thought like men a hundred feet high." Based on the details in the excerpt, the reader can infer that
Jean-François Champollion was a French linguist most famous for his work on Ancient Egypt and for deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics.
In this excerpt we can clearly see signs of deep admiration and fascination Champollion had towards Egyptian culture, society and especially architecture.
That can best be seen from his sentence: "No nation on earth, ancient or modern, has ever conceived architecture on so noble and vast a scale".
This diary entry suggests that he was extremly amazed at the sight of Karnak.
