The Rosetta Stone Controversy

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It is often a subject of controversy in the fields of historians to determine whether or not artefacts should be returned to their area of origin. The debate on this topic arises on two sides; one side agrees that countries deserve the right to possess artefacts in their museums which are a direct reflection of the history and heritage of the nation, whereas the other side argues two fundamental points, they adopt a “finder’s keepers” mentality by claiming that they were the first nation to discover the artefact, and research it, which in turn contributes to the preservation and integrity of the relic. Another point they argue is that the possession of artefacts brings about monetary gain through funding and influxes of tourists who wish to …show more content…

It holds importance as it showed two languages, Egyptian and Greek, using three scripts, hieroglyphics, demotic, and Ancient Greek. The purpose of this was so that everybody in Egypt was able to read the message; during the Ptolemaic period in which the Rosetta Stone was created, Ancient Egyptians converted to a more simple form of hieroglyphics, demotic. The actual contents of the message of the Rosetta Stone, a decree from the people which outlined all the benefits from their ruler, are interesting to note, however they are not the most prominent feature of the Rosetta Stone, nor the most historically relevant. The Rosetta Stone can be considered as one of the most important archaeological findings in all of history, as without the stone, any investigation of Ancient Egypt would be rendered impossible, and three thousand years worth of history would be lost due to an inability to translate the language. This proved to be especially useful when Christianity began to show a prevalence in Egypt; the Christian influence ousted hieroglyphics out as pagan and taboo. The stone was originally discovered in 1799 by Napoleon Bonaparte and the French army during their conquest of invading the Ottoman Empire. Upon their defeat by British forces in 1801 it relinquished ownership to the British under the terms of the Capitulation of Alexandria, specifically Article 16 which states …show more content…

Dr Zawi Hawass, Egyptologist and the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, initially requested the stone to be returned to Egypt in 2002, however in 2005 the British Museum validated the legality of its ownership by examining the Capitulation of Alexandria, which was signed by Ottoman and Mameluke leaders, the legal representatives of the Egyptian government upon the time of discovery. While not legally bound to relinquish ownership of the Rosetta Stone, the British government faces a moral dilemma, and scrutinisation by other nations whose artefacts are in their possession. Hawass commentates on this issue, being quoted "If the British want to be remembered, if they want to restore their reputation, they should volunteer to return the Rosetta Stone because it is the icon of our Egyptian identity,” The government of Egypt has embarked on a campaign to get back relics which are spread internationally, such as the obelisk of Place de la Concorde, Paris, the statues of Hatshepsut in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, and the bust of Nefertiti in the Berlin Museum. Vivian Davies, head of the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum expresses his views on the actions of Dr Hawass, while he feels sympathy towards the fact that the Rosetta Stone cannot be returned to Egypt due to the British Museum Act, he states

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