6 Things You Didn’t Know About the Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone, an ancient artifact discovered in Rosetta, Egypt, in 1799, was the key to unlocking the centuries-old mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphics. The black granite stone is a “stela” — a large standing slab used by ancient civilizations as a marker, typically for dedications or commemorations — inscribed with a text known as the “Decree of Memphis.” The text is, frankly, somewhat dull: It outlines the achievements of Ptolemy V Epiphanes, who ruled Egypt from 205 to 180 BCE. However, it’s not the subject of the stone but the script itself that is important.
The text is written in both Egyptian hieroglyphs and ancient Greek script. Because the ancient Greek and modern Greek languages are so similar, the Greek inscription served as the starting point for translating the Rosetta Stone. Using the Greek script, researchers translated the language of ancient Egypt for the first time in history. However, there is much more to this story than a simple translation. Shrouded in mystery and nearly destroyed by several wars, the Rosetta Stone has fascinated historians for centuries. Here are six surprising facts about this important discovery.
The Stone Features Two Forms of Egyptian Writing
It’s widely known that the Rosetta Stone features text written in both Egyptian hieroglyphics and the ancient Greek alphabet, allowing scholars to decipher the previously mysterious ancient symbols. However, the stone isn’t a bilingual message — it’s trilingual. The third script on the stone is Egyptian demotic, a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics that was also undeciphered before the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. It was used in ancient Egypt from the early seventh century BCE until the fifth century CE for business and literary purposes. By the time of the Ptolemaic period (304 to 30 BCE), rulers of Egypt were of Greco-Macedonian descent (following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the region). Around this time, Egyptian demotic and hieroglyphics began to decline in favor of the Greek writing system, which is why all three scripts were etched on the stone.
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There Is More Than One Rosetta Stone
Contrary to popular belief, there is more than one ancient artifact inscribed with the text found on the Rosetta Stone. The “Decree of Memphis” was copied onto several stone slabs and placed in temples throughout ancient Egypt. Some historical records state that a stone was placed in every sizable temple in the region, though not that many have been recovered. The original slab, the first to be discovered and deciphered, is currently displayed at the British Museum in London. Every copy that has been found features the same decree, and some of these other stones are on display in museums around the world.
The Rosetta Stone Was Originally Part of a Fort
Before the Rosetta Stone became a museum centerpiece, it was part of a wall around Fort Julien in the town of Rashid (also known as Rosetta) in Egypt. The fort was built on the west bank of the Nile River in 1470 CE by the Egyptian sultan. More than three centuries later, in 1799, the stone was rediscovered at the fort as French soldiers entered the area during the Napoleonic Wars. Pierre-François Bouchard, one of the soldiers assigned to the campaign, is typically credited with discovering the stone, while he was searching for building materials for new French fortifications. The mysterious stone was taken to the Institut d'Égypte in Cairo (founded by Napoleon Bonaparte), where French scientists made copies of the text and began trying to decipher it.
It Took 23 Years to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Although linguists, scholars, and scientists were eager to decipher the Rosetta Stone, the process took more than two decades. Two men are credited with translating most of the decree: Thomas Young of England and Jean-François Champollion of France. Young was the first to make significant advancements in the decipherment, starting with the name “Ptolemy.” Young also used the direction the animals faced to determine which way to read the hieroglyphs. In 1821, Champollion took over the task, eventually publishing a groundbreaking list of Egyptian hieroglyphs and their Greek equivalents. The linguist finished his work in 1822, marking an end to the 23 years of work since the discovery of the artifact in 1799. All subsequent Egyptian hieroglyphic translations were done based on the work of these two scholars.
The Stone’s Fate Was Determined by the Treaty of Alexandria
After French soldiers discovered the Rosetta Stone during Napoleon’s occupation of Egypt, it was considered the property of France. But when Napoleon surrendered Egypt in 1801, the stone passed to British control under the Treaty of Alexandria. The treaty was signed by French, British, and Egyptian generals, and stated that Egyptian antiquities found by the French, including the Rosetta Stone, would be handed over to the British. The artifact was promptly shipped to England and arrived in Portsmouth in 1802, and has been kept in London ever since.
It Was Hidden in Railway Tunnels During World War I
The Rosetta Stone has been displayed in the British Museum for more than 220 years, with one exception. In 1917, amid World War I, heavy bombing threatened the valuable artifacts in the museum, so the stone and other priceless objects were moved into underground railway tunnels for safekeeping. Specifically, the Rosetta Stone was placed in the city’s Post Office Railway — a small tunnel initially designed to transport mail — some 50 feet below Holburn in central London. After two years in hiding, the stone was finally returned to the museum.
