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| The '''Rosetta Stone''' is a dark ] stone discovered in Rosette in July ] while ] was invading ]. Written on it is a text in Egyptian and ], in three scripts - ]s, the demotic script and the ]. The stone was the key to deciphering the hieroglyphs in ] by ] and ]. This led to the translation of other hieroglyphic texts. | The '''Rosetta Stone''' is a dark ] stone discovered in Rosette in July ] while ] was invading ]. Written on it is a text in Egyptian and ], in three scripts - ]s, the demotic script and the ]. The stone was the key to deciphering the hieroglyphs in ] by ] and ]. This led to the translation of other hieroglyphic texts. | ||
Revision as of 00:08, 2 November 2002
The Rosetta Stone is a dark granite stone discovered in Rosette in July 1799 while Napoleon was invading Egypt. Written on it is a text in Egyptian and Greek, in three scripts - hieroglyphs, the demotic script and the Greek alphabet. The stone was the key to deciphering the hieroglyphs in 1822 by Thomas Young and Jean-François Champollion. This led to the translation of other hieroglyphic texts.
The same Ptolemaic decree of 196 BC is written on the stone in the three languages. The Greek part of the Rosetta Stone begins: Basileuontos tou neou kai paralabontos tén basileian para tou patros... (The new king, having received the kingship from his father...) It is a decree from Ptolemy V, describing various taxes he repealed (one measured in ardebs (Greek artabai) per aroura), and instructing that statues be erected in temples and that the decree be published in the writing of the words of gods (hieroglyphs), the writing of the people (demotic), and the Wynen (Greek; the word is cognate with Ionian) language.
The Rosetta Stone is on display at the British Museum in London, where it has been kept since 1802.