The Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is a stone slab carved from granodiorite, an igneous rock resembling granite. It acquired its name from the area where it was found in the in 1798. The British Museum estimates it originated during the lifetime of King Ptolemy V, around 196 B.C. Etched with Egyptian hieroglyphs, it displays a Greek translation of the king’s Memphis Decree issued at Memphis (British Museum 2014).
Three scripts appear on the stele. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs comprise the upper text, Demotic script occupies the middle portion, and the text finishes in Ancient Greek. The text is essentially the same, translated into three distinct languages. The Rosetta Stone holds the key to modern-day translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Just as important, it demonstrates how language evolves with the influences of the culture.
Hieroglyphics were called “the sacred carvings” and since the ancient Egyptians believe they were invented by the god Thoth, only scribes and priests used them. However, more crude and simple forms developed named demotic and hieratic for the common people.
During the 18th century, archeologists were frustrated at the inability to decipher texts found carved into Egyptian monuments and temples. Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, followed by the Greeks who governed the country from the fourth century B.C. During this time period, the Greek alphabet dominated the use of the demotic script and hieroglyphs. The use of the ancient Egyptian form declined until the fifth century AD when it was replaced completely; the Roman Catholic Church banned it as a display of paganism. The replacement, Coptic, merged with the language but this disappears also by the 11th century when it was replaced by Arabic. It is important to note that the Catholic Church allowed the use of the derivative language Coptic to the point where church liturgies were written in it. This was a crucial step in helping with later deciphering of the Rosetta Stone.
History
The Rosetta Stone was commissioned a council of priests to show their support of the 13-year-old King Ptolemy V for the first anniversary of his coronation. King Ptolemy V was a Greek, and the creation of the Stone in the Memphis Decree seems to show the Egyptians accepting dominance from Greece, even at the cost of their own language. Ironically, the reign of the Ptolemy kings was disguised as an Egyptian one. The kings called themselves Pharoah and successors to the throne. They attempted to gain acceptance from the Egyptian people by accepting Egyptian religious rituals, had monuments created dressed in the style of clothing the Egyptians word, and even participated in traditions such as marrying siblings.
It is believed that for a time the Stone was put on display in a temple, then moved during the Christian era of occupation. It was eventually recycled to use in the building of Fort Julien in the Nile Delta.
Rediscovery. The army of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in 1798. He sent an expedition there in 1799 with orders to seize all important artifacts for France. A member of the expedition named Pierre-Francois Bouchard rediscovered the slab while digging in the foundation of the Fort Julien. Bouchard reportedly was not on an archeological dig, but was actually assisting in repairs to the fort. Located near the town of Rosetta, about 35 miles north of Alexandria, it was named the “Rosetta Stone” (History.com 2014).
The French surrendered the stone to the British under the 1801 Treaty of Alexandra when they were defeated in Egypt. Other antiquities were also forfeit. Placed into the British Museum, it became the object most visited by patrons.
Deciphering the Stone. Thomas Young, a physicist from England, believed a circle enclosing a set of hieroglyphs was a starting point for the translation of the Rosetta Stone. Hieroglyphs depict groups of sounds, individual sounds, and objects with pictures. These represented phonetic consonants. Young theorized the circle was around the pictures was the name of the Greek Pharaoh, and he was correct. Amazingly, the Greek passage on the Stone stated all three sections were identical. This revelation held the key to translating a language dead for 2000 years.
At that point, 20 years after it was discovered near Rosetta, a scholar in France by the name of Jean-Francois Champollion drew a correlation between the hieroglyphs and the sound of the Egyptian language when it was recorded. It is said that when he realized the piece of insight he needed, he physically fainted!
Although the Coptic language was no longer used, Champollion learned it by using the liturgy of the Christian Coptic Church. The phonetic values of the hieroglyphs could still be found in the spoken Coptic language. By cracking the code, these discoveries initiated the knowledge of ancient Egyptian culture and language we use today.
Importance in Language and Translation
Public interest over the Rosetta Stone became widespread as word circulated about the discovery of the artifact. Speculation flared on its capability of translating a language that was a mystery to that point. Plaster casts and lithographic copies began to travel around European scholars and in museums.
Despite study of the Rosetta Stone and subsequent copies of the Memphis Decree, there is no definitive English translations. This is due to minor differences between the three languages and because study of ancient languages continues to advance. It is theorized today that three languages were used to allow three strata of culture to read it: the pharaohs read Greek, the common people read Demotic, and the priests read hieroglyphics. The Memphis Decree itself listed the accomplishments of the king to that point. Aside from the assistance in translating Ancient Egyptian, the Rosetta Stone allowed insight into the culture of that time period.
Richard Parkinson, a Professor of Egyptology at the University of Oxford, demonstrated the hieroglyphic portion of the text drifted from the symbols used by priests into the less formal version used by commoners (Parkinson, 1999). There were scholars who wanted an exact key to decipher word-for-word. Actually, there are even variances between one copy and another of the Memphis Decree, indicating the scribes took some small liberties with translations.
The importance to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone lies not just in the opportunity to translate backward through languages, but that it created a renewed interest in hieroglyphics. Linguists and historians were motivated to apply themselves to the task again. After Champollion completed his initial study of the Rosetta Stone, he developed a dictionary of hieroglyphics and a grammar based on Ancient Egyptian writing.
Archeologists used the Rosetta Stone 1400 years after its inscription to decipher the writing found in dig sites in Egypt. Perhaps as important as the information found in an ancient civilization is documentation of the evolution of language. Many languages today have formal uses and slang terms. Accents and hand gestures augment the spoken language and these aspects of Ancient Egyptian are lost. But by having the capability to trace language development backward for centuries helps linguists understand the importance of external influences. Population migration, class structure, conquest by enemies, and religious use and restrictions shape how man speaks now and how he spoke a thousand years ago.
The field of historical linguistics studies the development of languages. Modern standard varieties are of particular interest. It become more difficult to establish relationships between languages as time passes. A limit of approximately 10,000 years is due to variations between language groups and chance resemblance of words. This is why the Rosetta Stone was so important in the study of language. The time-depth went back much further and broadened languages investigations far beyond what was previously possible.
A problem occurs in the study of historical language since going past the 10,000 year mark assumes no living person speaks the language. Therefore, languages predating the gramophone leave behind only written evidence. But by drawing inferences from dialects still spoken, it is possible to theorize how an ancient language may sound. Another problem with attempts to reconstruct a “dead” language, according to sociologists, is that young people speak differently from older ones. This is synchronic variation and shows how language changes.
It is interesting to note that language develops in relation to historical context (Phys.org 2014). By looking at the language contained in the Rosetta Stone at exactly the same time and address the historical events happening in that time period, linguists can see the influence. When taking the concept and applying it to language recorded with audio, they can draw conclusions about language development. Noam Chomsky from America believes all languages have universal similarities. He theorizes this is due to language ability present at birth that every person exhibits. Heredity and culture influence that ability, but cannot dominate it.
Historical linguistics experts attempt to compare languages to show how they are related historically. The Rosetta Stone contained three distinct languages, but in at least one section it showed how the language was changing. These instances may be attributed to genetics or one language borrowing from another. This can be seen today by people who travel or work in several different cultural environments. Their language pattern becomes a mix of completely different languages, colored by accent and slang. This is an example of etymology, and has probably always taken place as people move from one place to another or have contact with people who do so. It would appear language is shaped more by ancestry than biology.
The Rosetta Stone also clarified through the study of ancient languages that there is no set sentence structure. In some languages, the components of sentence structure (verbs, nouns, adjectives) occur in places different from others. Word formation can also be specific to a language. Language evolution does not adhere to one set of universal rules. This truth is one reason by the study of language, language development, and historical languages is no difficult.
The next step in linguistics is to examine language families to understand how evolutionary processes effect language structure. We also need to study language features and their diversity from this perspective. Perhaps our planet will develop a universal language. Will it be a combination of the main languages, or a completely new one? Will this language be spoken only by the elite, such as the’ Queen’s English” versus Cockney? To try to unify the planet with a single language, linguists can apply the information derived from the Rosetta Stone to develop a system of language development. Hopefully, the time needed to perform this task would not take as long as the disappearance of hieroglyphics.
Storage of the Stone
Despite demands by the Egyptian government for its return, the British Museum has been the storage site of the Rosetta Stone since 1802. However, in 1917, curators at the museum worried about the safety of the stone due to the heavy bombing of London by the Germans; World War I was drawing to a close. It was decided to move it 50 feet below ground with other objects capable of transport. The Stone spent two years under Holborn in a Postal Tube Railway station.
Conclusion
A corporation named “Rosetta Stone” specializes in the use of technology to offer instruction in 30 languages currently spoken around the world (Rosettastone.com 2014). The name Rosetta Stone has become synonymous with “something which provides the key to previously unattainable understanding” (Dictionary.com 2014).
After the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, the two other fragments of the same decree on copies were found. Inscriptions of several similar Egyptian texts using two or even three languages were found, two of which predate the Stone. While no longer seen as unique, it was still a crucial key to the understanding of Ancient Egyptian civilization and literature.
The creation, discovery, and deciphering of the Rosetta Stone opened doors to bridge gaps in language from ancient Egypt to the world today. In doing so, it unlocked the mysteries of a culture and set of beliefs long hidden.
Works Cited
British Museum. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.
Dictionary.com,. 'The Definition Of Rosetta Stone'. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.
History.com. 'Rosetta Stone Found — History.Com This Day In History — 7/19/1799'. N.p.,
1799. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.
Parkinson, R. B et al. Cracking Codes. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Print.
Phys.org,. 'Historical Context Guides Language Development'. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.
Rosettastone.com,. 'About Rosetta Stone - Language-Learning Company - Rosetta Stone®'. N.p.,
2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.
2014.
