Anyone interested in the fields of archaeology,
Egyptology, cryptology, publishing, geology, science,
writing, mathematics, translation work and/or languages
understands the significance of this famous artifact.

View from west bank of the           Nile at the Ft. Rashid site            (photo by Dr. Joel A. Freeman)

Even if you are quite knowledgeable about the Rosetta Stone, perhaps you will learn some new things by the time you have finished reading this page. Plus, you just might want to own a stunning, museum-quality replica (45" x 30" x 11") of the Rosetta Stone. Review the eight innovations of the Rosetta Stone below, including a planned 3-D holographic image. You'll be pleasantly surprised. But first, let's take a step back in time...      The Rosetta Stone was/is an irregularly shaped slab of rock weighing about 1,700 pounds. The face has 14 lines of hieroglyphs (It is estimated that there were 29 lines prior to breakage), 32 lines of cursive Demotic, and, at the bottom, 54 lines of ancient Greek (language introduced after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great). All proclaim the same message (feel free to read it later).

   Historian, Richard Moore states, "The French attempt to exert influence over Egypt was due to economics, a political need to weaken Britain and the personal needs of General Napoleon Bonaparte, who saw the shadow of unemployment - and a loss of influence - looming as his armies in Italy were nearing the end of their successful struggles against Austria. Having seen the benefits of Britain's profitable colonies, France's Directory listened to Bonaparte's idea to invade Egypt, expel the ruling Marmalukes and establish a modern style of government friendly toward French ways."

   The Napoleonic Egyptian Campaign started in 1798. In 1799, as French soldiers were preparing to build the foundation for Fort Julian (later known as Fort Rashid) on the West Bank of the Nile, the soldiers found the Rosetta Stone (see photo above). That village, called Rashid, was translated as “Rosetta;” hence the name.

The Greek text was quickly translated and the last line of the Greek text impacted everyone who read it:  "This decree shall be inscribed on a stela of hard stone in sacred (hieroglyph) and native (demotic script) and Greek characters...." This meant that a parallel version of the same text was presented in all three languages! The Stone was deemed to be priceless! Everyone quickly recognized that the Rosetta Stone could very well unlock the secrets to ancient Egypt.    The ability to read hieroglyphs had been lost for almost two centuries, but now they had hope of understanding this ancient language. The stone, a fragment of an ancient slab proclaiming the “Memphis Decree” in 196 BC, praised the Egyptian king Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation. Even though the British defeated the French, a battle of intrigue followed.

   In September 1801 English Colonel Turner, who had fought and won at Aboukir Bay and Alexandria, went to visit General Menou to take the stone back to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Capitulation. Turner cited the 16th article of the treaty, and Menou handed it over grudgingly. The French had the foresight to make several copies of the inscriptions, which served them well after the British acquired the stone. Both the French and the British knew they had something valuable on their hands, but it would take years to crack the code inscribed on the Rosetta Stone. Only then would its true worth be revealed.

   The hieroglyphic images were studied by many (Rev. Stephen Weston, Dr. Thomas Young, etc.), but the Rosetta Stone was ultimately deciphered in 1822 (approximately 23 years later) by Jean-Francois Champollion (see image to right), the brilliant French academic who specialized in ancient languages of the Middle East.

   The Rosetta Stone story is remarkable, recounting the many decrees of Ptolemy IX upon the anniversary of his reign. Ptolemy IX had succeeded during the previous year of subduing a rebellion by a certain temple and priesthood who had refused to pay tithes and taxes to the Pharaoh. They occupied a fort-like temple on the banks of the Nile. Rather than attacking the temple with his army, Ptolemy diverted the Nile River around the Temple by damming, digging trenches and canals around it, depriving them of food and water. A few months later, the rebel priesthood surrendered.

   Ptolemy decreed a general amnesty for the rebels (except for the leaders). Allowed many of the priests to retain their homes and wealth, decreed a national celebration of the jubilee of his reign and gave the people a tax break (really).

   Ptolemy IX also declared himself a deity to be worshipped in all temples of Egypt, with a facsimile of himself in stone to be the object of veneration with the burning of incense and prayer 3 times per day.

   His final decree was that the entire record of this adventure be inscribed in stone in the 3 languages of the kingdom and that the decree should be placed prominently in all temples in Egypt and other important places and towns.

   Champollion compared the three texts, all stating the same Decree. Since these three languages were all used at the time, the Decree had to be “published” in all of them. The overwhelming importance of the translation is that it made it possible to read hundreds of hieroglyph inscriptions on tombs, obelisks and other ancient objects.

   Cracking the code of the hieroglyphs was enormously important for understanding the history and culture of ancient Egypt, thus revealing details of a civilization going back close to 4,000 years BC. The genuine Rosetta Stone is housed at the British Museum in London.
 

1st-generation cast of the Rosetta Stone owned by The Freeman Institute  from The Freeman Institute History Collection

In the 1970’s, the British Museum made a mold of the full face of the authentic Rosetta Stone, and cast a small number of first-generation reproductions.      The Freeman Institute obtained one of these facsimiles (see image to left) from a gentleman who was informed by the British Museum that only 12-15 first-generation replicas had ever been made, and that he had acquired the last one. (It had been stored in the basement of the British Museum and the museum cleaned it before selling it to him.)      It is a first-generation, full-size, life-size facsimile (in black resin) with the characters in white (carnauba wax and chalk compound), made from a direct mold of the original Rosetta Stone face. The size of the casting is approximately 40 inches in height, 30 inches in width, and the resin is molded so that it has two-inch sides.     A representative of the British Museum Company (in charge of sales & marketing for the British Museum) emailed the  following: “Unfortunately we do not have any records of how many Rosetta Stone casts were produced. However, (we) estimate that it would have been two or three a year (in the 1970s) at the very most.”

  Based upon the emailed correspondence and other anecdotal evidence, it is safe to say there are relatively few full-size, first-generation facsimiles of the face of the Rosetta Stone (manufactured in the 1970s) that exist in the entire world.

One of our Rosetta Stone replicas used on the Vancouver movie set of Night At The Museum 3
 

~  A#1 - Rosetta  Stone  Replicas  ~

   Our desire is to educate people -- young and old alike -- about the significance of the Rosetta Stone, understanding its role in cracking the code to Hieroglyphics -- which helped to spawn the intriguing fields of Archaeology and Egyptology -- a cryptologist's dream.

People viewing the Rosetta Stone replica exhibitions will want to learn more. Our main passion is to develop an excitement in the hearts of people to want to travel to view the real artifact/artefact (Rosetta Stone), which is exhibited in London at the British Museum.    The reconstruction part of making the life-size mold is a painstaking process and we will take our time to make sure that the face of the replica is designed as close to perfection as is possible. We have already developed a 3-D digital image of the Rosetta Stone through Direct Dimensions (see image to right). From this image we created the mold. The mold is now used to fabricate the full-size, 3-D replicas. See how it all works below:

LASER SCANNING (Non-Contact)

Exhibition Pedestal Base Concepts

   We will recreate the cylinder of the original exhibition base you see in the image (London Illustrated, 1874) below, except there will be no square piece at the bottom of the pedestal base. These exhibition bases will be comprised of a sand-filled, granite-like resin cylinder (about 30" tall x 28" across) -- available only for the full life-size, Classic Rosetta models.

   It was originally thought by experts that the Rosetta Stone inscription was carved into basalt. But in recent years (after the cleaning in 2004) it has been determined that the genuine Rosetta Stone is actually granodiorite rock from an Aswan quarry (see samples below).

Granodiorite / Main Rosetta Stone     Coarse pinkish granite vein in upper        left hand corner of Rosetta Stone

GRANODIORITE: This is a strange, mixed rock. It has a high quartz content, like a granite, but also a high mafic (amphibole/biotite) content (10-25%) more like a diorite. Granodiorite is typically intermediate colored with a mixture of light colored microcline, sodium plagioclase and quartz, and dark colored amphibole and biotite. The granodiorite from Aswan, however, is unusual in that its mafic content is 25-35% and this gives the rock a dark gray to nearly black color that is broken only by the occasional, large pink microcline and white plagioclase crystals.    We reached out to many geologists around the world trying to identify the specific variety of granodiorite used in the creation of the Rosetta Stone. Everyone we emailed stated that Dr. Harrell was the leading expert on the topic.    For 20 years Dr. James "Jim" Harrell (Professor Emeritus of Geology, University of Toledo) has been conducting a survey of Egypt's ancient mines and quarries. To date 210 mines and quarries have been identified. Dr. Harrell, an expert in archaeological stone, has traveled extensively throughout the region (sometimes at great personal peril), discovering that about 75% of the quarries are in or adjacent to the Nile Valley, including the quarries for granite and granodiorite in the Aswan region.    << The color chips to the left were selected by Dr. Harrell and shown here (with his permission) as the best samples from his collection, representing the truest examples of granodiorite from the Aswan region used to create the original Rosetta Stone. We have utilized his hi-rez images to create the filler used to color the replicas during the resin casting process.

   The Classic Rosetta, Classic Bronze, Classic Silver, Baby Rosetta and Hybrid Rosetta models are being fabricated by Mannetron, utilizing the Rotational Casting technology and will be hollow (about 1/2" thick, with an internal layer of high density foam), so that the shipping cost will be minimized. The foam will also strengthen the walls of each replica.

  The Classic Fine Art Bronze and Bronze Plaque models are being fabricated by a foundry. The Classic "Lost Wax" Bronze Rosetta model will be made of real bronze, using the "lost wax" process that is utilized for highly valued fine art pieces that are immortalized in like manner. These bronze models will be about 1/2" thick and will weigh 3-4 times more than the resin models. Consider developing a "Legacy" or "Lifetime Achievement" Award in your community. A Bronze Rosetta would be the ultimate award, prized by anyone who receives such an honor.

Even though the main purpose for creating the Rosetta Stone Replicas has been to provide them as educational exhibits for the Black History galleries The Freeman Institute® Foundation is developing, there has been substantial interest from individuals and educational entities for purchasing certain models.   These stunning, museum-quality replicas will be expensive. It has been a long process (4+ years)...bringing this project to the point where we are almost ready to start the fabrication of replicas fit for public exhibition. Ask about discounts, available only for educational institutions, libraries & museums.   This is not a cheap "Made-In-China" assembly-line replica project. Nor is it a washed-out, flat resin copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of the face of the Stone, cast in someone's back yard.

A close-up of the corner of the 3-D digital model

   Each Rosetta Stone replica (fabricated from a 1st-generation facsimile) is individually and lovingly hand crafted by artisans in an expert environment and will be as strong and as durable as a cultured marble-type counter top - 40% resin / 60% granodiorite filler.

  The shipping, handling (including the construction of secure wooden box for transport), and insurance costs will be borne by the buyer. The cost of S&H and insurance will be determined by the final destination to which the replica will be shipped and the least expensive (yet secure) method of shipping via a credible shipper (preferably by air).

  We absolutely guarantee that the replica will be delivered to the shipper in pristine condition. In the unlikely event of damage occurring during shipping...that will be taken up with the shipper's insurance company. The rule of thumb is that the quicker an object like this arrives, the less potential damage. Ground shipping will be the least-viable option.

   Feel free to email us with your thoughts and questions. We look forward to providing full-size, 3-D, museum-quality replicas of the Rosetta Stone very soon. Rosetta Classic, LLC is listed at the American Association of Museum's "Museum Marketplace." All purchases of the Rosetta Stone replicas through Rosetta Classic, LLC will benefit the goals and objectives of  The Freeman Institute Foundation (see more info below), which is directed by Dr. Joel Freeman. Excellence. Satisfaction guaranteed. Period.

  Feel free to take a look at the other Rosetta Stone-related items in The Freeman Institute® collection.

______________________________________________________________
Here is a 3-D Digital Model of the Rosetta Stone
[provided by Direct Dimensions]
you will have to download software to view and manipulate the image


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE  FREEMAN  INSTITUTE®  FOUNDATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Main Purpose For Developing the Rosetta Stone Replicas

 

The Freeman Institute® owns a Black History collection of well over 2,500 vintage documents and artifacts, with the oldest piece dated 1553. The goal is to develop Black History galleries, connecting the African American experience with galleries in major U.S. cities and in selected cities internationally (parts of Canada, Europe, Africa and South America and every Caribbean country) -- designed to educate and inspire this generation. Each gallery will have a wall dedicated to some of the White abolitionists who sacrificed their time...and some their lives for the anti-slavery cause. This vision also includes the exhibition of replicas of the Rosetta Stone in every gallery in the world. Dr. Joel Freeman, The Freeman Institute® Foundation and Rosetta Classic, LLC are supervising the creation of a mold and the fabrication of replicas.    Why? A life-size, 3D reproduction of the Rosetta Stone in each gallery provides a literal touchstone to ancient times -- reminding people that Egypt is in Africa...not the Middle East -- giving an opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of other ancient African Kingdoms that have passed down much of their history through oral tradition (Ghanian, Songehay, Great Zimbabwe, Malian, etc.). The exhibition of the replica also provides a context for African American history, reminding visitors that ancient African history did not start with slavery. Black History started with inventiveness, creativity, royalty, perseverance and so much more...providing a context for all of the documents and artifacts exhibiting the part African Americans played in the past four centuries of American history.

The Freeman Institute® Foundation Black History Gallery (2,000 sq ft gallery concept)

Description de l'Égypte: Official plates/prints previously owned by the French Government.

-- A three-volume 1803 English edition (quite rare) of "Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt During the Campaigns of General Bonaparte in That Country", written and illustrated by Vivant Denon, published by T.N. Longman & O. Rees (London). In the spring of 1797, with a direct assault against Britain out of the question, Napoleon Bonaparte suggested threatening Britain's rich commerce with India by invading Egypt. A unique feature of the expedition, which set sail on 19 May 1798, was the large number and high caliber of the attached civilians, among them Baron Dominique Vivant Denon (1747-1825). Denon was one of the founders of the Louvre Museum, and was responsible for saving many works of art and monuments of French culture from destruction during the French Revolution. Denon was entrusted by Napoleon to assemble a team of artists, archeologists, linguists and scholars to study the antiquities of Egypt for the first time since Antiquity. In addition to assisting in the formulation of practical measures for the rule of Egypt, the 167 savants accompanied the army to every corner of the country. Protected by the French troops, Denon was able to explore the country extensively. This book conatins many etchings of Egypt, including the famous etching of the Sphinx of Giza shown below.

-- Two extremely rare First Edition French volumes, "Complete Summary of Archaeology" by Jean Champollion-Figeac (Published in Paris, 1825 and 1826, just a few years after he cracked the code to hieroglyphics in 1822). Divided into volumes. First: Monuments of architecture, Sculpture and Painting, including/understanding constructions of any kind, the statues, low-reliefs, figurines, tombs, furnace bridges, vases painted, mosaic, etc...with an introduction historical and finished by a vocabulary divides into volumes. Second: Containing the treaties on the engraved stones, the inscriptions, the medals, the utensils crowned and common, movable, weapons, etc, followed by the biographies of the most famous antique dealers, archéologieque bibliography and of a vocabulary.

-- Hardbound Volume IV of  American Quarterly Review (September and December, 1828). This 546 page book contains reviews of historical, scientific, and travel literature published by Carey, Lea & Carey, Chesnut Street, Philadelphia; 546 pages. Twenty-six of those pages are dedicated to reviewing Jean Champollion's May/June 1827 article published in the Bulletin Universal entitled, "Apercu des Resultats Historiques de la decouverte de l'alphabete Hieroglyphique Egyptienne" par M. Champollion le Jeune.

 -- Magnificent extremely rare plate/print (one of 511 plates), expertly backed with linen, of Thutmose III from the monumental 1843 work of Jean Champollion, the first to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs (20" x 27").
-- Rare First Edition copy of "L'Univers Pittoresque. Egypte Ancienne" by M. Champollion-Figeac (Jean Champollion), Paris, Firmin Didot, 1839. It contains 92 illustrations and an antique folding map of Egypt. First few pages have some foxing, with the rest in excellent condition. 500 pp., & 92 plates,1/2 maroon morocco with 5 raised bands & leather label, marbled bds. & endpapers.-- Very scarce First Edition, Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum, 1862. Details 250 exhibits. Published by Smith, 196 pages. Excellent condition. In fact, it appears to be unread. Over 6 pages, with three diagrams, dedicated to the Rosetta Stone.
-- Intriguing early 1900s glass slide of the Rosetta Stone by Moore, Bond &Co. (Chicago).

-- Two Copper engravings (22"x9" -- Battle Plan for Alexandria and Map of Nile) titled, "Plan of the Action of the 21st. of March Fought near ALEXANDRIA, by the French under General Menou, and the English under Sir Ralph Abercrombie" and also "A Map of the Western Branch of the Nile from the Latest Authorities". Issued in 1803 as part of Robert Thomas Wilson's "History of the British Expedition to Egypt To which is Subjoined a Sketch of the Present State of That Country and its Means of Defence".

--  Very rare L'expédition d'Égypte, 1798-1801, par Clément de Lajonquière. Five large volumes in wraps, total of about 3400 pages! (1902, 2nd edition). Among the campaigns of the revolution, consigning Egypt is both one of the most popular and less well known. Thus began the monumental work of Clement Draveurs (Clément de La Jonquière). Published (about 100 years after the Napoleonic military campaign) from 1899 to 1907 under the auspices of the History Section of the État de l'Armée, Paris, he tells one of the most extraordinary adventures of the revolutionary period. Many testimonies, more or less reliable contemporaries; also numerous texts on the science of "oriental dream." The work of Georges Rigault on the last leg of the expedition to Egypt and those of Pierre de La Grèverie on Regiment Dromadaires round off the work of a master in the final volume.
Vol. I: 673 p., Vol. II: 632 p., Vol. III: 720 p., Vol. IV: 688 p., Vol. V: 692 p. A complete set. With numerous foldout maps. Vol. I: A rebinding copy. Rear cover missing, backstrip missing parts and frayed. Shaken. Internally excellent: text leaves clean and neat. Vol. II: Missing front wrap cover, else in excellent condition – tight and clean. Vol. III: a Very Good volume. Tight and clean with some wear to covers. Vol. IV: A rebinding volume – shaken, backstrip cracked. Covers off and frayed. Internally clean and neat. Vol. V: A Very Good volume. Tight and clean. Covers with some wear and leaves somewhat yellowed. A remarkable complete set.
BACKGROUND: (translated from French) In 1797, after the victory early, and unexpected, Napoleon in Italy, England remains the main enemy. One can oppose it either by attempting an invasion, either by intervening on its links with India. The conquest by Bonaparte of Ionian Islands in August 1797 opened the way to the Orient and reanimate the idea of conquest of Egypt, which would allow the opening of the Isthmus of Suez, thus controlling of a more commercial path runs to the riches of India. As a first step, in January and February 1798, the policy of the Executive moves to the invasion. Bonaparte examines all possibilities of invasion from ports in the north, the troops are assembled, a fleet is formed, but the operation seems far too risky and it is abandoned. But we must fight against England, and incidentally get rid of a Bonaparte too. Talleyrand, confirmed his analysis by the intervention of Magallon, will therefore attempt Eastern map. The decision to intervene in Egypt was taken on March 5, 1798. On August 22, 1799, Bonaparte, after the unfortunate expedition to Syria, even Egypt, called for new targeted France.He left the expedition under the command of Kleber, which does little to maintain in Egypt. But Kleber is totally convinced of the importance of scientific work, which continues, despite the setbacks and delays of the policy. It creates Similarly, on November 19, 1799 a commission to study more particularly modern Egypt. On Nov. 22, 1799, he took the decision to consolidate all the work of scholars of the commission in a unique work, the Description of Egypt. Kleber enters into negotiations with the British and the Ottomans, to evacuate honorably and Egypt to participate in military actions in Europe. An agreement was concluded on January 23, 1800 for the return in France, but its implementation is not possible, given the internal divisions among English, the sultan of procrastination and the resumption of hostilities in Egypt. After the victory of Heliopolis Kléber on the Ottomans, March 20, 1800, there is no question of return, but the morale of the troops, such as scholars rose. Unfortunately, on June 14, 1800, when the victory of Marengo, Kléber was assassinated in Cairo. The General Menou, being the oldest in the highest rank succeeded him as head of the army. Any momentum had been able to restore Kléber members of the expedition despite the failure of the draft back, disappears with him. Until the final departure to France, scholars no longer leave little near the Cairo and Alexandria in order to be ready to leave at the first opportunity. However Menou continues the work of reorganization and modernization begun by Bonaparte and continued by Kleber. To him we owe the fact that the publication of the description will not be provided by private funds but rather by the state, so that is recognized and sanctioned the importance of the work done by scholars. After many tribulations, scholars, gathered in Alexandria, obtain permission to leave Egypt on May 13, 1801, but the English do not want to pass up, unless they abandon all material collected during the exploration and their notes and sketches. The negotiations, sometimes tragic, lasting several months and it was not until September that the first members of the committee may leave Egyptian soil, having left in the hands of English the heaviest items that they had found, including the famous Rosetta Stone.

-- Vintage framed image of Dr. Thomas Young.

-- A fine 1719 original, copperplate engraved views of the Pyramids and of the Sphinx, Giza, Egypt, with engraved cursive commentary as borders: Description des Piramides d'Egypte . . . Avec une Description tres Curieuse du Sphinx, from Chatelain, Henri Abraham, Atlas Historique..., Volume 6, Amsterdam: . First edition. Excellent condition, heavy paper, crisp dark impression; uncolored as always (any color seen in these images/maps is applied by modern hands.) Dimensions: 17 1/2" x 21 1/4" (overall)...

-- And much, much more....