Once they had mastered the three kinds of Egyptian writing, nineteenth-century scholars had the key to more than three thousand years of Egyptian history. Within a few decades, they compiled an accurate list of all the pharaohs who had ruled Egypt, from Narmer in 3000 B. C. to Cleopatra VII in 30 B. C. They discovered long-lost masterpieces of ancient Egyptian literature. And, by reading bills of sale, shop inventories, and personal letters, they reconstructed what daily life in ancient Egypt was like for everyone from a slave to a king.

Which best represents a cause-and-effect relationship from the excerpt?