Rosetta Stone

Rosetta StoneEgyptologists all over the world join the gathering. It is the tradition since discovering the Rosetta Stone was discovered.
Such a cultural ceremony offers an exhibition of archaeological discoveries, as this Town is the second to Cairo that hosts a galaxi of Islamic pieces of antiquities.

The Rosetta Stone was scientific bearing on unveiling what is hidden in the Egyptian civilization by means of translation of hieroglyphic writings on temples.

Discovery

This Stone was discovered by French soldier Piere Poushar in 1799 while working a site earmarked for French barracks. It is a piece of granite on which a decree by priests was inscribed in 196 B.C. to Ptolemy V on his coronation anniversary as King of Egypt. It is written in hieroglyphic language, but Champollion translated it.


Not here

There are no results concerning negotiations with some countries to regain some of the Egyptian antiquities like Rosetta Stone which is still at the British Museum in London. The Secretary General of the Higher Council for Antiquities said that he preferred to communicate with other countries through official channels beyond the media.
Baron Crempengenton, a british official, stated last year in the Parliament that the British government has no intention to let go the Stone as it is legitimately possessed by Britain which received the Stone from France under Alexandria Agreement of 1801. Nevertheless, Coby Sergent, an incumbent official said Britian would seriously consider any relevant request Egypt submits, but it will unlikely return the Stone back. Jeffery Spencer, the Deputy-Chairman of the Egyptian Division at the British Museum, said the Stone was officially recorded amongst property of the British Museum and pointed out that tourists come from all over the world to see this priceless monument, so it is unlikely to give it up, adding the British Museum would in 1999 hold an enormous exhibition of all Pharaonic monuments related to Rosetta Stone, also all research made in that respect that contributed to understanding Hieroglyphic symbols.

Other Discoveries related to Champollion's expedition :- An obelisk on which Champollion s notes of his study of the cartouche of Cleopatra are inscribed

Champollion's notes of his study of the cartouche of Cleopatra, inscribed on an obelisk found at Philae by Belzoni, The names of Cleopatra and Ptolemy were the first words deciphered by Champollion. By analysing the texts of the Rosetta Stone and comparing them with those on the obelisk of Philae, Champollion had the brilliant intuition that the names of the pharaohs in cartouches were in hieroglyphs with a phonetic value, and that it was therefore possible to establish an equivalence between hieroglyphic and alphabetic signs.
Painting of a relief made by the painter Bertin in the tomb of Ramesses III (Valley of the Kings) during Champollion's expedition. The reliefs and drawings executed during Champollion's only trip to Egypt were published under the title Monuments de I'Egypte et de la Nubie, from 1835 to 1845. (Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale)


A page from champollion's notes for his work Grammaire egyptienne, published between 1836 and 1841. (Paris, National Library)


 
     Print this page
     Mail this page