There are increasing calls to the British Museum for the return of the great archaeological find to Egypt.
One of the most emblematic archaeological finds – the Rosetta Column – moved for the first time since settling in his Egyptian Sculpture Gallery British Museumon the occasion of the opening of the exhibition “Hieroglyphs: Unlocking Ancient Egypt”.
Exhibition curator Ilona Regulski told the Evening Standard newspaper: “We couldn’t tell the story of the decipherment of the hieroglyphs in the 200th anniversary celebration without the Rosetta Stone, so we decided it should have a prominent place in the exhibition.” .
The Rosetta Column was discovered by accident in 1799 by French soldiers, led by Pierre-François Bouchard, during Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt.
It is a slab of granite stone weighing 760 kg and bearing an inscription in two languages ​​(Egyptian and Greek) and three writing systems.
The great French scholar Jean-Francois Champollion (1790-1832), one of the most distinguished linguists of the time, managed, based on the names of the kings Ptolemy and Arsinois mentioned in the column, to find the key to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphs. This invaluable discovery was decisive for the development of the science of Egyptology.
The system that Champollion used to decipher the text of the stele is an important guide for those interested in the study of ancient writing systems.
The British took the precious find – which was the key to deciphering the hieroglyphs – after the defeat of the French in Egypt in 1801.
However, the universities of Manchester and Oxford are calling for the repatriation of the great archaeological find, according to tatler.
The exhibition opens on October 13 and will be open to the public until February 19, 2023, presenting more than 240 objects of unparalleled value.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
