They discovered the rosetta stone on 15 july 1799 while digging the foundations of an addition to a fort near the town of rashid rosetta in the nile delta. Although accounts of the stone s discovery in july 1799 are now rather vague the story most generally accepted is that it was found by accident by soldiers in napoleon s army. In the next section we ll learn about the events leading up to the rosetta stone s discovery and the lucky accident that revealed the stone.
Only then would its significance be realized. The rosetta stone would later be resurrected as that civilization came down and a new one erected in its place. The fragment of the stone is nearly 4 feet long over 2 feet wide and 11 inches thick.
The discovery and translation of the rosetta stone was important because it led to the interpretation of many other early records of the ancient egyptian civilization. Today the rosetta stone which measures about 44 inches tall and 30 inches wide is housed in the british museum in london where it s been since 1802 except for a temporary re location for. Bonaparte returned to paris in december 1797 following his successful first italian campaign and the peace of campo formio as a public hero.
The discovery of the rosetta stone. On napoleon s defeat the stone became the property of the british under the terms of the treaty of alexandria 1801 along with other antiquities that the french had. The stone s discovery soldiers in napoleon s army discovered the rosetta stone in 1799 while digging the foundations of an addition to a fort near the town of el rashid rosetta.
Prior to its discovery in 1799 it had been in the town of el rashid rosetta in egypt. The british museum has housed the rosetta stone since 1802 except for the years 1917 1919 when it was temporarily moved underground to prevent possible bomb damage. It was found in 1799 near the town of rosetta rashid about 35 miles northeast of alexandria.
Their decipherment led to the understanding of hieroglyphic writing. Rosetta stone ancient egyptian stone bearing inscriptions in several languages and scripts. During napoleon bonaparte s egyptian campaign a french soldier discovers a black basalt slab inscribed with ancient writing which becomes known as the rosetta stone.
