WHO OWNS THE PAST?
Year 11 Ancient History – The case of The Rosetta Stone
Australian Curriculum learning objectives1
ACHAH025 - The nature and significance of the cultural property for the society to
which it belongs
ACHAH026 - The arguments for and against the return of the cultural property to its
original home Cross-curriculum priority area Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander perspectives organising ideas
If extension activity is completed: OI.6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
have lived in Australia for tens of thousands of years and experiences can be
viewed through historical, social and political lenses.
Resources required

Comparison source analysis scaffold

Rosetta Stone 196 BC importance video2 captioned online video extract
(Duration: 3:55)

Rosetta Stone, National Geographic video3 captioned clip (Duration: 5:49)

Source comparison activity worksheet x class set.
Lesson outcome: Students investigate the significance of the Rosetta Stone to
Ancient Egypt and evaluate the arguments for and against the return of the
cultural property to its original home
Lesson outline
1) TUG OF WAR thinking skill4 activity - Write up on the statement “Artefacts of
significance should be returned to their countries of origin” on the board with
a ‘For’ and ‘Against’ on either side
2) Students are to develop their argument for or against the statement and post
their large post it on the board under the appropriate heading
3) As a class, consider which side of the ‘tug of war’ wins from class opinion
http://bit.ly/1hmBsIt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFXY9-pec1I
3 https://dotsub.com/view/b19401b0-d4d8-459d-a4eb-ae42789a6094
4 http://bit.ly/1rl03kK
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4) Discuss arguments for and against each side and introduce the source
comparison activity to compare two introductory sources to debates
surrounding ownership of The Rosetta Stone
5) Students are to write down their arguments for or against on separate post its
6) As a class, view and discuss the two video introductory extracts regarding
ownership of The Rosetta Stone:
a. Rosetta Stone 196 BC importance video captioned online video
extract (Duration: 3:55)
b. Rosetta Stone, National Geographic video captioned clip (Duration:
5:49)
7) Students are to write a blog entry along the theme of ‘Who owns the past?’
to collate a class blog on the issue. A blog post on who owns the past5,
published in the New York Times, can be used as a model.
Extension
Students are to compare the issue of ‘Who owns the Rosetta Stone?’ with issues of
who owns the past regarding artefacts of Indigenous Australia.
Opportunity for further activity
Students create their own Rosetta Stone – activities can be adapted from the
Archaeological Institute of America’s Rosetta Stone resource6 or the British
Museum’s Rosetta Stone resource7. Students can debate who owns the past.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/29/arts/artsspecial/29treasures.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.archaeological.org/pdfs/education/rosetta/Teachers+v.2.pdf
7 http://bit.ly/1tzT8Z3
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