The Rosetta stone is a fragment of a stele in granodiorite , a material often erroneously equated with the basalt or granite , engraved with the ancient Egypt with three versions of a text that allowed the deciphering of modern hieroglyphics. The inscription is that it has promulgated a decree to Memphis in 196 BC. AD on behalf of the Pharaoh Ptolemy V. The decree is written in two languages ( ancient Egyptian and ancient Greek ) and three scripts: Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian writing demotic and Greek alphabet. The stone has a dimension of 112 by 76 inches (28 cm in thickness).

Exposed in the original temple, the stele is probably moved to the beginning of the Christian era and during the Middle Ages, and later used as building material for fortifications in the town of Rosetta in the Nile Delta. It is the rediscovery 15 July 1799 by a French soldier during the Egyptian campaign of Napoleon. First known bilingual Egyptian text, the Rosetta Stone quickly awakens the public interest because of its potential for translation of languages of ancient Egypt hitherto indecipherable. Casts and copies circulating among European scholars and museums. Meanwhile, Napoleon was defeated in Egypt and the original stone becomes a British possession in 1801. Transported to London and exhibited at the British Museum in 1802, it has been accepted the most visited museum.

The first translation of the Greek text is achieved by 1803. It was not until nearly twenty years before the decipherment of hieroglyphics were announced by Jean-Francois Champollion , Paris, in 1822, and more before that scholars are able to read ancient Egyptian inscriptions with confidence. The decryption key steps were: recognition that the stone has three versions of the same text (1799); that the demotic text transcribes foreign names phonetically (1802) and the hieroglyphic text and has done the same significant similarities with the demotic ( Thomas Young , 1802) and finally, understanding that the hieroglyphic text of phonetic characters used to write words also Egyptian (Champollion, 1822-1824). Since its rediscovery, the Rosetta Stone is the subject of national rivalries, including the change of ownership from France to England during the Napoleonic Wars , long controversy over the relative contributions of Young and Champollion in deciphering and since 2003, the request by Egypt for a return to his country of origin.

Two other fragmentary copies of the Order are later discovered, and several Egyptian texts, including two bilingual or trilingual decrees Ptolemaic slightly older (the Decree of Canopus and the Decree of Memphis ). Thus, the Rosetta Stone is no longer unique, but its role has been essential in understanding modern literature of ancient Egypt and, more generally, its civilization.

Summary 1 Discovery 2 Decoding 3 Text 4 Reproduction 5 Bibliography 6 External links

Discovery

He is a young officer of Engineering , Pierre-Franois-Xavier Bouchard , who noticed this black stone over a meter high when earthworks in an old Turkish fortress. This fort was named Fort Jullien by Bonaparte, in homage to his aide Thomas Jullien Prosper assassinated during the summer of 1798. At the Egyptian campaign and the capitulation of 1801 , the British demanded the delivery of victorious ancient monuments, including the Rosetta Stone. But French scientists refused to surrender their notes, threatening to burn them, and from 1800 , a reproduction of the text had been sent to France to be studied.

The importance of this document was immediately perceived as illustrated publication on 15 September 1799 in the mail from Egypt to the discovery of a relationship stating: "This stone is of great interest for the study of hieroglyphic characters, Perhaps even she will at last the key. "

Decoding

The three inscriptions on this stone proved to be the same text reproduced in three different writing systems: the hieroglyphs , the demotic and Greek. It was believed at that time, the mystery of the hieroglyphs would be quickly bored.

Akerblad and Silvestre de Sacy was launched in the first attempt to decipher, but it remained empty. It was then the turn of a British scientist Thomas Young to get into a job that seemed to promise success. Alas, Young did not know the Coptic and few ancient texts. On the hieroglyphic signs for which he proposed a value, only five were correct, and he continued to read the Rosetta Stone Arsinoe, so what was mentioned, in reality, Autocrator. If some of the signs present in the cartridges were fairly easy to find, it was because they were created to make the vowels of the names of foreign origin of the last kings (Ptolemy, Cleopatra, Alexander).

Jean-Francois Champollion , who had not yet ten years old at the time of the discovery of the stone, started very early in the battle of deciphering hieroglyphics. He foresaw that the key was the knowledge of ancient texts and especially the Coptic , the language spoken in Egypt, and descendant of the ancient Egyptian. A friend, the architect Jean-Nicolas Huyot had sent documents to the young Champollion. In a cartridge, he spotted the sun sign of Ra (Ra) , another sign that he knew to be MS and two S: Ramsses so Ramses , which together means "Ra has given birth." Ditto for Thotmes, Thutmose. After eight years of hard work, in 1822 , he may announce to the scientific community that has discovered the secret. His method was good, because it applies to the translation of other hieroglyphic texts.

Text

The text inscribed on the stone is a Ptolemaic decree setting out the decisions taken on 27 March -196 , 18 ^th day of the second month of winter of the year 9 of the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes by the meeting of Egyptian priests assembled at Memphis Ptolemy V Epiphanes to honor and Cleopatra I ^re.

The decree Ptolemy V (then aged 14) as the King of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Such decree has ever existed before in Egypt, also known as Decree of Canopus , where the assembly meets Egyptian priests at Canopus , a neighboring town of Alexandria , in -238 (9 year of the reign of Ptolemy III Evergetes ), to adjudicate on matters relating to the practice of worship and organization of temples.

The Greek part of the Rosetta Stone begins: ... (Basileuontos Neou tou kai tou para paralabontos ten basileian Patros ...; "The new king, having received the kingdom of his father ..."). It is a decree of Ptolemy V Epiphanes , describing taxes he repealed (one measured in ardebs (Greek artabai) by arura ) and establishing the order to erect statues in temples. The last sentence indicates that this decree shall be inscribed on a stele of hard stone, in writing the words of gods ( hieroglyphs ), writing popular ( demotic ) and Greek.

Reproduction

Since 1802 , it is exposed to the British Museum. However, it was loaned to the Louvre Museum in 1980.

Exhibit featuring the British Museum, the Rosetta Stone is available in a variety of derived objects.

A huge reproduction (fourteen by seven feet), carved in granite black Zimbabwe by Joseph Kosuth , and its French translation are publicly available on the place of Scripture in Figeac.

A reproduction of the stone was presented at the April 22, 2009 April 4, 2010, at the Museum of Civilization in Quebec , as part of the exhibition Fascinating Egyptian Mummies.

Bibliography

• Robert Sol and Dominique Valbelle , The Rosetta Stone, Penguin ( ISBN 202061197X )

External Links

• (In) The Rosetta Stone at the British Museum
• (In) The Rosetta Stone at the British Museum , the site devoted to ancient Egypt.