DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6359#0040
CHAPTER II.
Rosetta Stone. — Specimens ot the inscriptions.—Dr. Young's discoveries. — De
Sacy. — Akerblad. — Champollion le Jeune.— Discovery of homophones.—Sir
Gardner Wilkinson's tribute to Champollion.—Exposure of the ignorance of
the French savans, by Champollion.
It was in August, 1799, that Bouchard, a French officer of
Artillery, in digging at Rosetta for the foundations of a re-
doubt, found a large stone of black syenite basalt, marked with
various characters. Upon closer inspection, it was seen that
the stone bore three inscriptions: the upper one was in hiero-
glyphics, the lowest in Greek letters, while that between was
in a different character, which it was subsequently found, on
reading the Greek text, was therein called enchorial or popu-
lar. The stone finally found its way to the British Museum,
where it now is. Owing to the fracture of the stone, no one
of the inscriptions was entire, but still, much the larger part
of each was remaining. On its arrival in Europe, its import-
ance as a probable key to interpretation, was at once seen;
and the Antiquarian Society caused the inscriptions to be
engraved, and generally circulated among the European lite-
rati. The French general, Duqua, had also caused a cast
of two impressions of the stone to be made at Cairo, and
had taken them to Paris. And here one cannot but be struck
by the reflection with which Bunsen accompanies his state-
Rosetta Stone. — Specimens ot the inscriptions.—Dr. Young's discoveries. — De
Sacy. — Akerblad. — Champollion le Jeune.— Discovery of homophones.—Sir
Gardner Wilkinson's tribute to Champollion.—Exposure of the ignorance of
the French savans, by Champollion.
It was in August, 1799, that Bouchard, a French officer of
Artillery, in digging at Rosetta for the foundations of a re-
doubt, found a large stone of black syenite basalt, marked with
various characters. Upon closer inspection, it was seen that
the stone bore three inscriptions: the upper one was in hiero-
glyphics, the lowest in Greek letters, while that between was
in a different character, which it was subsequently found, on
reading the Greek text, was therein called enchorial or popu-
lar. The stone finally found its way to the British Museum,
where it now is. Owing to the fracture of the stone, no one
of the inscriptions was entire, but still, much the larger part
of each was remaining. On its arrival in Europe, its import-
ance as a probable key to interpretation, was at once seen;
and the Antiquarian Society caused the inscriptions to be
engraved, and generally circulated among the European lite-
rati. The French general, Duqua, had also caused a cast
of two impressions of the stone to be made at Cairo, and
had taken them to Paris. And here one cannot but be struck
by the reflection with which Bunsen accompanies his state-