Egypt demands return of Rosetta Stone- threatens to pursue its claim "aggressively"

The Sydney Morning Herald ^ | July 21, 2003 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Egypt demands return of ancient Rosetta Stone

July 21 2003

Egypt is demanding that the 2000-year-old Rosetta Stone be returned to Cairo and has threatened to pursue its claim "aggressively" if the British Museum does not agree to give it back.

The stone, which became the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics, was found by Napoleon's army in 1799 in the Nile delta, but has been in Britain for 200 years.

"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," said Zahi Hawass, director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo. He has begun negotiations with the museum.

"Otherwise I will have to approach them using a different strategy . . . the artefacts stolen from Egypt must come back."

Dr Hawass said he had been discussing a three-month loan to the Cairo Museum, before the stone's permanent return to Egypt.

The Rosetta Stone, which dates from 196 BC, was discovered in 1799 in the western delta of the Nile. The stone provided a key to understanding hieroglyphic text because it was accompanied by a Greek translation.

The French ceded it to Britain under the Treaty of Alexandria in 1801 and it has been exhibited in the British Museum since 1802.

Vivian Davies, keeper of the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the museum, indicated that a voluntary return was unlikely.

"We are working with our Egyptian colleagues to preserve the heritage of today rather than concentrate on problems - or issues, perhaps I should say - that are very old," he said.

The Egyptian Government has asked for the stone as part of a program to return "stolen" antiquities from all over the world. It also wants to retrieve the bust of Queen Nefertiti from the Berlin Museum, the statues of Hatshepsut in the Metropolitan Museum of New York and the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde, Paris.

The Telegraph, London

[xrp]

already posted...try doing a search next time

[BenLurkin]

Interesting post. Thank you.

[yooper]

"The French ceded it to Britain under the Treaty of Alexandria in 1801 ...",/i>

Once again, the French surrender. LOL!

As for the stone; give it back, it took a group of Englishmen to find it when the Egyptians had a couple of thousand years to do so on their own, and we've learned all we can from it anyway. They're asking for a rock; I say give it to them. It will be a monument to the laxity of Islamic culture, if there is such a thing.

[PoisedWoman]

Thanks for posting this even if it's been posted before...you never know about reposts.It's the first time I've seen it and the article contains a couple of sentences that are extremely valuable to me in a project I'm working on. Fabulous! Terrific! Thanks!

[virgil]

Leave it in the UK. More people can go see it without worrying about being killed for their beliefs or politics or country of residence. Its safer and more accessible to public view.

[Destro]

return it to the Greeks who carved it! Return Alexandria too.

[Justa]

Since it has a Greek translation that would make it part of Western culture, not Egyptian. Imo it was obviously written by Greeks to provide a local translation of the Egyptian writing. I'd say there should be more of these around but I'm sure that after the Greeks left the ancient Egyptians likely smashed the 'infidel writings' into pieces and threw them in the Nile.

[DonQ]

The Egyptians will have to wait their turn. The Greeks have been trying to get the Elgin marbles returned for more than a century.

[Central Scrutiniser]

I've seen the Rosetta Stone in London and found it to be a fascinating exhibit. I've also been to the museums in Cairo and they were equally interesting. At no time did I ever fear any violence in Cairo, on the contrary, the people went out of their way to be gracious hosts while I was there, and I would love to go back.

It was found in Egypt, returning it isn't gonna hurt anyone.

[Mercat]

It's value was discovered in France. In Egypt, it was probably a door stop.

[RobbyS]

Right. The Muslim rulers of Egypt had no interest in antiquities.

[Spirited]

Since I did not see the first post will you please so kind as to post a link? I would like to read it. If you cannot, please give us the title of the prior post.

I have enjoyed what I have read.

The stone was the focus of a visit I made to UK within the past year. What on earth makes them think it should go anywhere else.

[FairOpinion]

Zahi Hawass has delusions of grandeur.

[xrp]

Previous thread

What on earth makes them think it should go anywhere else.

Because they are greedy and trying to throw their weight around.

[dougherty]

As my 6 year old nephew would say, finder's keepers, loser's weepers. The British gained it lawfully from the French who discovered it, so the Egyptians can stuff it.

[Colorado Doug]

Because they are greedy and trying to throw their weight around.

They sure are going back a long time in the chain of title here. Perhaps they just want to right old wrongs. This might be a good time for the Jews to discuss reparations for pre-Moses slavery since the Egyptians are so anxious to settle old accounts.

[Atchafalaya]

And the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon!

[upcountryhorseman]

We would love to go to Egypt but are worried
about anti-western actions in that area of the
world.

[Spirited]

"good time for the Jews to discuss reparations for pre-Moses slavery since the Egyptians are so anxious to settle old accounts."

What an intriguing concept!.