Shortly thereafter, in 1801, the British defeated the French, and the Rosetta Stone became a British possession as part of the treaty at Alexandria. They named it the Rosetta Stone and commenced some study. They realized that the stone was some sort of ancient royal decree written three times in three different languages. Rather than use the stone as part of his barricade, he gave it to scholars travelling with Napoleon’s army. Although the soldier didn’t recognize the Egyptian hieroglyphics at the top, or the Demotic script in the middle, he did recognize the ancient Greek at the bottom. In 1799, while “digging in” and building defensive positions near Rashid (ancient Rosetta), a small city outside Alexandria, a soldier in Napoleon’s army discovered a black basalt stone, 3’ 9’’ long by 2’ 4’’ wide, with three distinct bands of engraving. History of the Rosetta Stone – The Discovery Napoleon and his troops had no way to return to France, so they ended up spending the next three years in Egypt. The French won the ground battle, but while on land, the British Navy under Lord Horratio Nelson sailed-up and sank the French flotilla. Then, in 1798, Napoleon landed his French flotilla near Alexandria, Egypt, and marched his troops south to fight the British near Cairo.
Actually, unknown to many, Egyptian hieroglyphics was considered a “dead” language for over 1,500 years.
What’s the history of the Rosetta Stone? What’s the story behind the famous discovery that revolutionized Egyptology?Īfter the Roman Empire took control of Egypt in about 30 BC, the art of reading and writing hieroglyphics was ultimately lost. History of the Rosetta Stone – Napoleon and His Army
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