Posted on 07/20/2003 10:18:03 AM PDT by UnklGene
Egypt demands return of the Rosetta Stone By Charlotte Edwardes and Catherine Milner (Filed: 20/07/2003)
Egypt is demanding that the Rosetta Stone, a 2,000-year-old relic and one of the British Museum's most important exhibits, should be returned to Cairo.
The stone, which became the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, was found by Napoleon's army in 1799 in the Nile delta, but has been in Britain for the past 200 years. It forms the centrepiece of the British Museum's Egyptology collection and is seen by millions of visitors each year.
Now, in an echo of the campaign by Athens for the return of the Elgin Marbles, the Egyptian government is calling for the stone to be returned and threatening to pursue its claim "aggressively" if the British Museum does not agree to give it back voluntarily.
Zahi Hawass, the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo, confirmed to The Telegraph that he had begun negotiations with academics and curators at the museum. He said he hoped that they would agree to "voluntarily return the stone", but gave a warning that, if the request was rejected, he would intensify his campaign to bring it back to Egypt.
"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 Dr Hawass.
"Otherwise I will have to approach them using a different strategy. There are various stages to our negotiations. I don't want to fight anyone now, but if the British Museum doesn't act, we will have to employ a more aggressive approach with the Government. I don't care if people know my strategy, the artefacts stolen from Egypt must come back."
Dr Hawass said that he had been discussing a possible three-month loan of the stone with the museum. "More immediately, we are prepared to accept it peacefully on a temporary loan and we are in discussions about that right now. That is a short-term solution, however. Ideally, we would like the stone to come back for good."
Dr Hawass said that the Cairo Museum, where the Rosetta Stone would be kept, had a replica of the relic which it would be willing to give to the British Museum in return for the original.
The Rosetta Stone, which dates from 196 BC, was discovered by French troops in 1799 in the village of Rosette (Raschid) in the western delta of the Nile. The stone's importance was that it provided a key to understanding hieroglyphic text because it was accompanied by a Greek translation.
Although the stone was Napoleon's most coveted war acquisition, 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, the keeper of the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the museum, expressed sympathy with Dr Hawass's claim, but suggested that legislation on the repatriation of artefacts would prevent the relic's permanent return.
"Will the Rosetta Stone be returned? I would say that our priorities are elsewhere at the moment. 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.
"We would like to co-operate with the Egyptians insofar as we can under the law. It is the same law that guides us on the issue of the Elgin Marbles - the British Museum Act of 1963." This rules that no artefact can be repatriated without the permission of the museum's trustees.
Mr Davies added: "Perhaps, if I were in Dr Hawass's position, I would feel the same way. We are having constructive negotiations over the loan for three months. It's a new idea he has produced and we appreciate very much that Dr Hawass is being constructive on these matters. We enjoy working with him and his staff."
Dr Hawass, one of the world's leading Egyptologists, has pioneered a major new museum development programme and encouraged the Egyptian government to pour considerable funds into archaeological research.
The Egyptian government has asked for the stone as part of a wide-reaching programme to return "stolen" antiquities from all over the world. Among the items it wants to retrieve are the bust of Queen Nefertiti from the Berlin Museum, the statues of Hatshepsut in the Metropolitan Museum of New York and, perhaps most controversially, the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris.
Dr Hawass added: "The obelisk in France is needed because the Luxor temple from which it came is left with only one. The second one should be there with it."
Last night Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, was unavailable for comment, but in the past he has described the personal significance of the stone. "I remember the first visit I made to the museum was with my father at the age of eight," he said. "I was fascinated by the Rosetta Stone. I was thrilled to be able to touch it - it was uncovered at the time - and physically connect with history."
If the stone were to be moved, it would be seen by far fewer people than is the case today: the Cairo Museum has about 2.5 million visitors a year, compared to the 5.5 million who visit the British Museum annually.
The marbles were recognized as stolen at the time (ref: Britsh report of 1816).
So what? Any country that was looted deserved to have their heritage returned to them. I find it amusing that there was an outcry when the Taliban blew up ancient statues of Buddha, yet there is little or no outcry for the crimes the British have done it the past -- Lord Elgin's theft of the marbles, his burning down the Summer Palace of the Chinese Emperor etc, etc.
The British have promised the Greeks the return of the marbles since the mid 1800s. Even Tony Blair's government promised, and of course, has gone back on their promise.
I guess if the British loots and blows up another's heritage, its ok, if anyone else does it, its "bad"?
And if the British who previously made numerous promises to restore the marbles fail to do so, that's ok too, because after all they're British?
Sure. And if an Islamist government takes over in a couple of years, and decides to destroy it, as the Taliban destroyed the Bamyan Buddhas, who cares about the loss to the world?
'Ownership', it seems to me, is rather a nebulous point. The modern Greek state has no historical connection to ancient Athens; nor has modern Egypt any connection to the Rossetta stone. In the British Museum, anyone can go to see both and tons of other loot, free, without danger of being attacked by a religious fanatic. Both are being looked after responsibly; I say leave them there.
Quite a remarkable feat, considering the two events occurred nearly 60 years apart.
Not me, that's for sure.
When it comes right down to it, it's just a rock with a bunch of chicken scratchings on it that have already been translated and recorded elsewhere.
Not me, that's for sure.
Well, since you don't care about its fate, why don't you leave the debate to those who do?
The current Egyption civilization and language bear no relationship to those present when the artifacts were created either. So which bunch of looters deserves them? If you go by geography, then the individuals dwelling on the current day sites have the best claim.
Heard a very interesting bit of current news about the Rosetta Stone on a visit to San Jose's Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum last month - it isn't really black at all. That's the ink that originally was put on by the French to do rubbings back when they found it, and nobody's touched it since. This was only found out a couple of months ago. It's pink underneath.
Because it's a property rights issue.
If you want to emulate the Hildebeast Klintoon arguement to usurp jurisdiction over property rights simply because you "care" more, and that it's "for the children", that's your problem, not mine.
That's amusing to know. Our replica in the library is slate black.
Q. Why is it illegal to swat a fly in Cairo?
A. Because it's the National Bird!
Eighth Earl burned the summer palace. Seventh Earl took the marbles. Must have been that vandalism gene.
BTW, the Chinese did more than seize the envoys. They tortured them to death.
So you're saying if I have an Etruscan vase in my study, bought and paid for legally, it can be repossessed by the Italian government 200 years after the fact, if they claim it's 'cultural heritage'. That's an interesting view of private property. Suppose the Indians want the land your house is built on?
Well before 20 years have past, Cairo and several other
mid-East cities will be glow in the dark glass parking lots.
Not a real good place to store treasures.
Pray it stays that way. Plenty of islamofascists in Britain.
Btw, where do you teach, if you don't mind my asking?
I think you missed his sarcasm.
I agree with you; possession is nine points of the law. The British Museum has had clear possession of these artifacts for 200 years. That's more than long enough to give them title. Nither the two govts. that are trying to repossess them even existed when the BM acquired them.
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