Discovered in Egypt

During Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition into Egypt, a French army engineer discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799 near the coastal town of el-Rashid (Rosetta). In 1801, under the terms of the Treaty of Alexandria after Napoleon's defeat, the British took possession of the stone.

Unlocking a Lost Language

The tablet dates back to 196 B.C., and was inscribed with three translations of the same text: hieroglyphics (ancient script consisting of small pictures that priests used to record religious text); Egyptian script (the everyday language of the people); and classical Greek (used by administrators). Because the Egyptians stopped it using by the end of the fourth century A.D., civilization lost the knowledge of how to read and write hieroglyphics. French and English scholars used the Greek inscription as a key to unlock the other two languages, which opened the door to understanding ancient Egyptian culture.

Displayed Free to the Public

The Rosetta Stone has been on exhibit in the British Museum in London since 1802, except for two years at the end of World War I, when the tablet was relocated for safety reasons. Each year, some 5.5 million visitors see it.

Physical Description

The Rosetta Stone is a tablet of black rock about four feet tall, with a jagged top and a smooth front surface. Written in three languages, it was displayed in temples. The stone ordered the public to worship the ruler Ptolemy V.

Physical Condition

The stone accumulated layers of dirt and grease due to making copies from it and years of people touching the tablet while it was on public display. In 1999, the stone's inscription surface underwent a treatment to remove printer's ink, white paint, wax and grease.

Controversy

Claiming that colonial oppressors had plundered his country of its ancient artifacts, Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, in 2003 launched an international campaign to return artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone, to Egypt. Trustees of the British Museum feel strongly that the collection must remain intact, though the institution would consider a request to loan the tablet.

Source:

The Big Question: What Is the Rosetta Stone, and Should Britain Return It to Egypt?

The Rosetta Stone Can Be Shared Where It Is

The British Museum: The Rosetta Stone

More Information:

The British Museum: The Rosetta Stone