Egyptians call on British Museum to return Rosetta stone

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

CAIRO (AP) — The debate over who owns ancient artifacts has been an increasing challenge to museums across Europe and America, and the spotlight has fallen on the most visited piece in the British Museum: The Rosetta stone.

The inscriptions on the dark grey granite slab became the seminal breakthrough in deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics after it was taken from Egypt by forces of the British empire in 1801.

Now, as Britain’s largest museum marks the 200-year anniversary of the decipherment of hieroglyphics, thousands of Egyptians are demanding the stone’s return.

’’The British Museum’s holding of the stone is a symbol of Western cultural violence against Egypt,” said Monica Hanna, dean at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, and organizer of one of two petitions calling for the stone’s return.

https://apnews.com/article/travel-middle-east-africa-fb5af71b4a8b75d6f99f08fce9743cf3

[maxsolomon]

1. I guess.

Don't think it would have made it through the last 2 centuries in Egypt, but now it's the right thing to do.

Doesn't mean Britain will.

[Tetrachloride]

2. My educated guess is this is an escapist red herring

My 2 men on the street gathered a variety of opinions. There’s no consensus that the Rosetta Stone is a priority over the inflation and unemployment and underpaid workers of Egypt and much of the Middle East.

[malaise]

3. Theft is still theft

It belongs to Egypt

[Wingus Dingus]

4. Calls to mind one of my favorite bits by James Acaster:

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The Cairo Museum has (or at least had when I was there) a replica of it

hanging on a wall in the museum and I know that slowly stuff has been returned. But obviously not that nor many obelisks that are scattered around Europe.

They really should just swap them out - give Egypt the original and let the British Museum take the replica.

[Xolodno]

6. Since no one has mentioned the old joke, I'll do it.

Why aren't the Egyptian Pyramids in England? They were too big for the British to transport there.


Ok, I'll show my self out.