KRONOS is a range of challenges with a continuing theme of cryptography through time and perhaps now is a good time for to start this brief introduction with a step back to 1900BC...

1900bc

It is around this time that an Egyptian scribe writing in hieroglyphs inscribed using non-standard hieroglyphs. I doubt very much that he was aware of the landmark of this act and that it would be referred to 4000 years later, but this is arguably the first use of cryptography in history. Whether it was intended to hide sensitive information or just provoke intrigue among the educated is not known, but this is where the story starts nonetheless.

A few things must be kept in mind as we look at the period:-

1) The number of literate people who could read at all, let alone hieroglyphs was very small at approximately 1-5%. It was the secret of the elite, which was essentially the Royaltly and the Priesthood. In many ways this would of added to the immense power the Royalty enjoyed (who were believed to be the embodiment of the Gods).

2) All distant languages are inherently encrpyted as time slowly erodes knowledge. The art of heiroglyphs lay forgotten for many years. Although not an actual cipher, as it was not intended to be encrypted it draws upon the same skill set that a good cryptographer requires.

An interesting thought about Ancient Egypt is how such a sophisticated civilisation sprung out of nowhere. Most civilisations have a solid history of a slow climb from Neanderthal man, but not the Egyptians. Even the hieroglpyhs seem to have appeared as a fully formed product. Many things have been said like survivors from Atlantis, survivors from Mars or truly decendants of the Gods. Whatever is said, they certainly built some amazing structures which cannot be brushed away by science.

Please click the hieroglyph below if your ready for your first challenge!