Discovered in Rosetta, Egypt by a French officer in 1799, this 2,200-year-old black basalt stone is now a famous artifact is inscribed in hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek and is believed to hold the key to deciphering hieroglyphics and Egypt's past. The stone was acquired by the British when they defeated the French in 1801, and transferred it to the British Museum in London in 1802. Although Egypt has continued to push for the stone's return, the British Museum refuses to budge.
