The Rosetta Stone and what it actually says with Ilona Regulski | Curator's Corner S7 Ep7

This paragraph introduces Ilona Regulski, a curator in the Egypt and Sudan department, who is working on an exhibition about Hieroglyphs. The focus is on the Rosetta Stone, a replica of which is present, as the real one is too heavy to display. The Rosetta Stone's significance in deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs is mentioned, as well as its discovery by Napoleon's soldiers in 1799. The stone is named after the city of Rosetta, where it was found. The decree on the stone is from 196 BC during the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which ruled Egypt for about 300 years. The stone is inscribed with a decree in three scripts: Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic (a cursive form of hieroglyphs), and Greek. The Greek text was key in deciphering the other scripts. The content of the decree is discussed, detailing the honors given to King Ptolemy V by priests, comparing him to gods, and his good deeds such as protecting Egypt, supporting temples, and lowering taxes. The decree's prescription for publication in all important temples of Egypt is also mentioned.

This paragraph discusses the distribution of the Rosetta Stone decree across Egypt, with the existence of three almost exact copies found in different parts of the country. These copies help reconstruct missing parts of the Rosetta Stone. The decree was a standard practice for about 150 years, starting from 243 BC, and was used by multiple Ptolemaic rulers. The paragraph also explores the possibility of the decree's continued use beyond the last known copy from 182 BC. The physical appearance of the Rosetta Stone is described, including its missing parts and the likely original design based on parallel texts. The authorship and translation process of the texts are discussed, highlighting the multicultural nature of Egypt at the time and the likely order of composition from Greek to Demotic to Hieroglyphs.

This paragraph delves into the linguistic aspects of the Rosetta Stone's inscriptions. It discusses the ease of composing the decree in Greek for the Egyptian priests and scribes due to their familiarity with the language and terminology. The translation process from Greek to Demotic, the day-to-day language of Egypt at the time, and then to Hieroglyphs, which was restricted to ceremonial uses, is explained. The challenge of translating contemporary language into an ancient script is highlighted, as well as the priests' special status in being able to use Hieroglyphs. The paragraph also describes the details of the decree's publication prescription, including the types of stone and writing to be used, and the significance of the determinatives in the text. The distinction between the Egyptian scripts and Greek writing is noted, with the latter being referred to as 'letters' rather than 'writing'.

The final paragraph discusses the classification of temples as first, second, and third class, as mentioned in the decree, which is unusual for Egyptian texts. Speculations are made about the possible meanings of these classifications, with the Temple of Ptah in Memphis possibly being a first-class temple. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to the exhibition 'Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt' for more information and notes that the Rosetta Stone will return to its permanent display in Gallery 4 after the exhibition.