Rosetta Stone found in 1799, wasn’t used to decipher hieroglyphs for many years

The Rosetta Stone was vital in understanding the writing system of hieroglyphics, which spent years as a forgotten writing system.

After the stone was first discovered, it took many years for it to be deciphered. 

Now, it belongs to The British Museum in London, England, where it has been since 1802, briefly being moved during World War I for its safe keeping.

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1. Who discovered the Rosetta Stone?
2. What is the Rosetta Stone, and why is it important?
3. What is the actual message in the Rosetta Stone?

1. Who discovered the Rosetta Stone?

The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 by Napoleon Bonaparte’s soldiers, while he was campaigning in Egypt, according to The British Museum. 

The stone was found built into an ancient wall near the town of Rashid (Rosetta). 

When the British defeated the French, the ancient stone was put into British possession in 1801, according to History.com. 

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The Rosetta Stone has remained in British possession ever since. 

2. What is the Rosetta Stone, and why is it important?

The Rosetta Stone is a broken part of a bigger stone slab. It measures 44 inches tall and 30 inches wide, according to History.com.

The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with the same text in different scripts; Demotic, hieroglyphic and Greek. 

The stone is important as it played a vital role in scholars deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. 

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After the 4th century A.D., the writing system was no longer used, making it forgotten for many years, until it was understood with the deciphering of the message inscribed on the ancient artifact. 

3. What is the actual message in the Rosetta Stone?

Decoding the message of the Rosetta Stone was a combined effort of several scholars over the course of many years. 

The first to make major progress on decoding the Rosetta Stone was an English physicist named Thomas Young. 

In 1814, Young determined that the hieroglyphs that were enclosed in ovals, called cartouches, were royal names, according to History.com.

French scholar Jean-François Champollion, built upon Young’s work, and announced in 1822 that he successfully deciphered the message. 

The message inscribed on the stone is a decree regarding Ptolemy V Epiphanes, according to The British Museum, who was king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt. It was issued by a council of priests and stated that “the priests of a temple in Memphis supported the king,” per the museum. 

The stone’s decree dates back to 196 B.C., according to Britannica and details many of his accomplishments, including tax reductions and restoring peace in Egypt, per the source.