British Museum Considers Returning "Rosetta Stone" to Egypt

The Independent newspaper published an article saying that there is a trend within the management of the British Museum in London to conduct reviews on the mechanism for returning some of the antiquities and collectibles in the museum, including the Rosetta Stone, to their countries of origin.

These pieces were brought to Britain during the colonial era, and in the time being there is debate on the sidelines of an open investigation in light of the museum's theft a month ago, where British Museum employee Peter Higgs was sacked over 2000 missing and damaged items.

The most common complaints filed against the institution in recent years have been its right to keep the antiquities, amid some belief that the collections should be returned to their countries of origin.

According to the report, Egyptologist Zahi Hawass launched a petition in November 2022 asking the museum to return the Rosetta Stone. Hawass said: “The time has come for the Egyptian identity to return to the homeland. We are not asking the British Museum to return the 100, 000 Egyptian pieces it has, but we only ask them to return one piece.”

A spokesman for the British Museum said to the Independent newspaper, saying: “The Rosetta Stone is available to all interested audiences, whether in galleries or by appointment in academic research shops.”

The report stated that those in charge of managing the museum do not rule out the controversy surrounding the artifacts found within its walls and the list of “disputed objects” on its website, explaining the historical circumstances of their acquisition and the current status of the often very sensitive discussions surrounding their preservation.