Egypt demands return of Rosetta Stone!

The Sunday Telegraph - UK ^ | July 20, 2003 | Charlotte Edwardes and Catherine Milner

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Two hundred years and they are just getting around to demanding the return of "their" property? O.K., fine.

Return it after passing thru a #200 mesh seive.

[Willie Green]

If the british museum returns everything then there wont be anything left in their museum.

Heck, the Brits don't even know how to take care of their own historical treasures.
That's why Robert McCulloch volunteered to buy London Bridge and move it to Arizona.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

There has to be a certain cultural schizophrenia in Egypt. They own one of the greatest cultural legacies in the world, whose true extent and nature is only now in the process of being uncovered by Westerners. Yet they are in thrall to a backward Bedouin superstition imposed by ruthless conquerors a millenium ago, who played a large part in marring and destroying that heritage. (viz., The burning of library at Alexandria.) Certainly Egypt is one of the wellsprings of Western culture, but they have turned their collective backs on it for a repressive atavistic cult.

[Larry Lucido]

She does that leg-crossing thing. There's residual value there.

Got it on video. But I'd gladly ship Phillips over there!

[dozer7]

"Egypt demands return of Rosetta Stone!"

It will probably suffer the same fate as the budda statues in Afganistan.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics

[wimpycat]

London to Cairo: Drop dead!

[RightWhale]

Give it back.

The secrets are unlocked. Everyone already has a plaster cast of the object. There are no more secrets. Send the Acropolis back to Athens while you're at it.

[Ditter]

NO NO NO a thousand times NO!!! You can't have it back!!!!

[dighton]

[Willie Green]

Send the Acropolis back to Athens while you're at it.

Glad to see somebody else displaying a little common sense on this issue.
IMHO, such items can only be truly appreciated when viewed in their original location and surrounded by similar artifacts from the same time period.
Much depends, of course, on a nation's capability to properly preserve such items. But I think that both Greece and Egypt are sufficiently developed to assume such responsibity. And to the extent that they do not have the resources to maintain the massive quantities of artifacts that their ancient cultures produced, they should be the ones who decide which artifacts are "loaned" to other museums throughout the world.

[Jeff Chandler]

>>Egypt demands return of Rosetta Stone!<<

Tell them that Kathleen Freeman is dead.

[UnklGene]

Thanks, Lonesome! Short, concise, and complete!

[Radix]

Perhaps the example of the Taliban destroying those monolithic towers of the ancient Bhudda is something to consider before anyone seriously contemplates abiding by the Egyptian demands.

The Egyptians have their problems with Muslim extremists. I have no data but I would assume that tourism is down there after they had shot at a busload of visitors to the pyramids a few years ago.

[xm177e2]

"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,"

Funny, I thought the pyramids were the icon of Egyptian identity.

Maybe they can make an even trade, then.

[RightWhale]

We know that the atmosphere in Athens will dissolve the fresco and other decorations to smooth nubs in five years, but send them back anyway. As far as Egypt is concerned, their archaeological department has made great strides and they are ready to care for and preserve the artifacts, even though it is they themselves who have been dismantling their priceless heirlooms over the centuries. Whatever happened to the cap of the pyramid, or the outer covering? How many trainloads of mummies have gone up in smoke from their locomotives? They're ready now, though, and the Islamicists won't suddenly rampage through the museum turning everything to dust and smoke one day.

[Akira]

LOL! Can we also include Oliver Stone?

This just in...France wants Louisiana back. Hell, I want my PSINet stock back. The list goes on...

[steplock]

This is probably one of the FEW things that I agree with the "new-think" of the present.

These "World Historical" objects should be kept in the area where they were created. But not until AFTER extensive analysis and exact replicas are made.

I'm sorry, but Egypt doesn't have the facilities for research that are available in the US or UK.

The ownership though is Egypt's.

[Larry Lucido]

[Willie Green]

We know that the atmosphere in Athens will dissolve the fresco and other decorations to smooth nubs in five years, but send them back anyway.

I would think that the curators in both the British and Greek museums understand that as well.
Perhaps they've already agreed to continue the charade of a "dispute" for publicity purposes. It gives them some leverage over public opinion to address air quality issues.