A DATE WITH FATE: WHO OWNS THE STONE?
TASK SHEET
EGYPTIAN TEAM
NAME________________________________________
You are trying to persuade the class that Egypt is the rightful owner of the Rosetta
Stone. It remains in a British Museum and should be moved to Egypt. Be sure to
include the following in your essay and group presentation:
1) Where and when was the Rosetta Stone found? Include information about the town of
Rosetta, Egypt.
2) What are the dimensions of the stone?
3) Describe the languages inscribe on it.
4) Who had the stone inscribed?
5) What is the written passage on the stone?
6) Find instances of Egyptian antiquities being removed by other countries. Research
Howard Carter and King Tut’s tomb. Where did all of the artifacts end up? Another
idea- The British Museum has 56 panels of the Parthenon frieze. Greece wants to
reunite the collection with its remaining 36 panels at the foot of the Acropolis in
Athens (Elgin Marbles Debate:
(http://www.phm.gov.au/pdf_publications/parthenon_marbles_seminar.pdf) In the
past, the artifacts would go to the museum that funded an expedition. As a result,
national treasures often ended up in different nations. Do you agree with this
practice? Why or why not?
7) A debate about national treasures should also look at American documents. How
would Americans feel if the Declaration of Independence was on display in the
British Museum?
Possible Book/Author to contact through Videoconferencing:
Donald Malcolm Reid
Whose Pharaohs? Archaeology, Museums, and Egyptian National Identity from
Napoleon to World War I
Donald Malcolm Reid is Professor of History at Georgia State University
Others:__________________________________________________________________
A DATE WITH FATE: WHO OWNS THE STONE?
TASK SHEET
BRITISH TEAM
NAME________________________________________
You are trying to persuade the class that The British Museum is the
rightful owner of the Rosetta Stone. It remains in a British Museum
and should be there. Be sure to include the following in your essay and
group presentation:
1) How did the Rosetta Stone fall into British hands? Describe the invasion by Napoleon
and the British forces.
2) Describe museums and their treasures. There is considerable controversy in the field
of archaeology and the concern of ownership of artifacts. In the past, the artifacts would
go to the museum that funded an expedition. As a result, national treasures often ended
up in different nations. Explain how this has been practiced and should continue to be
practiced.
3) Describe the funding of Howard Carter’s excavation and his discovery of King Tut’s
Tomb. If the funding had not occurred, (not provided by wealthy patrons like Lord
Carnarvon) what would the implications be? Would many of the world’s treasures be
lost forever?
4) Describe the implications if all of the world’s museums turned over their treasures to
the country in which they originated.
Possible Book/Author to contact through Videoconferencing:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
A DATE WITH FATE: WHO OWNS THE STONE?
TASK SHEET
FRENCH TEAM
NAME________________________________________
You are trying to persuade the class that A French Museum in Paris
(The Lourve) would be the best place for the Rosetta Stone. The
rightful owner is certainly France. Be sure to include the following in
your essay and group presentation:
1) Who found the Rosetta Stone?
2) Describe the circumstances in which it was found. Be sure to include how it could
have been easily overlooked!
3) Describe the story of how the 3 languages on the stone were painstakingly
deciphered.
4) Who is the French citizen Jean-Francois Champollion? How was he instrumental in
breaking the code that unlocked the mysteries of ancient Egypt? Be sure to use
specific examples of his translation. Biographical information should be included.
5) Describe the Lourve Museum in Paris and explain how it would be the perfect place
for the Rosetta Stone to reside. What other important treasures are housed in the
Lourve?
Possible Book/Author to contact through Videoconferencing:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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