Summative: Cultural Repatriation

Step 1. Choose a side.

Option A: A country that used to be a colony or was looted by an Imperial power
Option B: A museum in a country that obtained and currently own thee artifacts

Step 2: Choose an artifact or a group of artifacts that were taken during an event
Rosetta Stone
Look through some of the following websites and choose the one that interests you or
you could choose ones you heard of before:
http://www.elginism.com/similar-cases/ten-famous-cases-of-disputed-artefacts-in-muse
ums/20100220/2744/
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/articles/the-15-most-contentious-items
-held-in-museums/
https://www.mic.com/articles/76321/9-priceless-artifacts-museums-should-return-to-their
-home-countries
https://www.businessinsider.com/disputed-ancient-artifacts-2011-7#2011-cambodia-and
-thailand-wage-mini-war-over-ancient-temple-4
Step 3: Research your artifact using the research planner/Action plan. You can use a
template from Mr. Dan or the one you used last time
Step 4: Create the report: The report should introduce the history of the artifact, how it
arrived at the museum (you don’t have to trace out the entire journey as sometimes it is
impossible. Just find the important points in the journey). Prepare two arguments about
why it should be kept or returned. Also, acknowledge one argument against your own
position and then prepare a counter-argument.
Step 5: Cite the sources that you used in APA format.
Step 6: Reflections
Checklist of the report
Background of the object:
-When was it created?
-Who/which group of civilizations created it?
-What was it used for or what did it represent?
-Is that civilization still the same as the one that exists in the same geographic location?
How did it arrive at the museum?
When was it removed from its original place?
Who removed it from its original place?
Under what conditions (war, thievery, selling, deals when the original place was under
foreign occupations) was the artifact removed? Be descriptive.
Arguments why it should stay/return:
-Argument one where the point sentence contains at least one of the concepts from the
table above.
-Argument two where the point sentence contains at least one of the concepts from the
table above.
Counterarguments and rebuttals:
-Explain what the counter-argument from the opposing side is and prepare a rebuttal

Citation:
Cite the sources in APA format

Reflections:
What was difficult about this assignment?
What skills do you think you need to work next time?
  
SOI: ​International ​relationships ​can ​cause changes ​in personal and local ​identities​. 

Research  Should the Rosetta Stone be returned to the place of origin? 

Question:  

Criterion B Strand 2: follow an​ ​action plan​ ​to explore a research question 

Sub-questions  What is the history of the Rosetta Stone, how it arrived at the museum? 
Why the Rosetta Stone should be returned? 
What are some reasons the Rosetta Stone should stay in the museum? (counter-argument) 
 

  -Decide what the research question would be and what side of the argument to choose. (27, 
Main stages of  9, 19) 
the  -Write and organize the action plan. (27, 9, 19) 
investigation  -Come up with 3 sub-research questions to help me answer my research question. (29, 9, 19) 
(action plan)  -Investigate sub-research question #1. (30, 9, 19) 
  -Investigate sub-research question #2. (3, 10, 19) 
  -Investigate sub-research question #3. (8, 10, 19) 
-Collect and organize the information into the proposal template. (9, 10, 19) 
-Do reflection on the process and results of the investigation. (9, 10, 19) 
 

Criterion B Strand 3: use research methods to collect and record appropriate, varied and relevant 
information. 

Sub-Research  What is the history of the  Search terms / keywords →  History of the Rosetta Stone 
Question 1 →  Rosetta Stone, how it   
arrived at the museum?  Rosetta Stone arrive in the 
museum 

Quotes,  “Rosetta Stone was carved  “[It] is housed in the British  “Soon after its discovery, the 
images,  in 196 B.C and found in  Museum in London, where  Rosetta Stone was already the 
observations,  1799 by French soldiers  it’s been since 1802”  subject on international intrigue 
etc. →  who were rebuilding a fort  when British forces seized it in 
in Egypt.”  1801 after defeating the French in 
  Egypt.” 

“When Napoleon, an  “When the British defeated  “More startlingly, the Greek 
emperor known for his  Napoleon in 1801, they took  passage announced that the 
enlightened view of  possession of the Rosetta  three scripts were all of identical 
education, art and culture,  Stone.”  meaning. The artifact thus held 
invaded Egypt in 1798, he  the key to solving the riddle of 
took along a group of  hieroglyphics, a written language 
 scholars and told them to  that had been “dead” for nearly 
seize all important cultural  2,000 years.” 
artifacts for France.”   

Notes,  On July 19, 1799 the Rosetta Stone was discovered by French soldiers who were digging 
sources,  the foundations of an addition to a fort near the town of el-Rashid (Rosetta) in Egypt. It 
description of  got it name from the location it was found, near the town of Rosetta, about 35 miles east 
research  of Alexandria. The Rosetta Stone was a fragment shaped stone contained fragments of 
method used  passages written in three different scripts: Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics and Egyptian 
Other →  demotic. There were three different scripts on the Rosetta Stone because the ancient 
Greek was inscribed by priests honoring the king of Egypt, Ptolemy V, in the second 
century B.C. The Egyptian demotic language which was the common script of Egypt and 
Egyptian hieroglyphics which was the script used for important or religious documents. 
The Rosetta Stone was written in all three scripts so that the priests, government 
officials and rulers of Egypt could read what it said. The meaning of Egyptian 
hieroglyphics had been lost since the dying days of the Roman Empire, but with its triple 
inscription, the stone offered scholars a chance to decipher the ancient symbols once and 
for all, making this the key to the remarkable period in history. With the ancient Greek 
on the Rosetta Stone, archaeologists figure out that all three script was writing about the 
same things having the same meaning. 
 
In 1798, Napoleon with a group of scholars invaded Egypt, telling them to seize all 
important cultural artifacts for France. But in 1801, when the British defeated Napoleon, 
they took possession of the Rosetta Stone. Ever since 1802 the Rosetta Stone is housed in 
the British Museum in London. 
 
(n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2019, from ​http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html​. 
 
The Rosetta Stone. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2019, from 
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/egypt-art/ptolemaic/a/the-r
osetta-stone​. 
Rosetta Stone found. (2009, November 24). Retrieved from 
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rosetta-stone-found​. 
 

Sub-Research  Why the Rosetta Stone  Search terms / keywords →  Repatriation of Rosetta Stone 
Question 2 →  should be returned? 

Quotes,  “Some do feel strongly that  “Imagine what it is like to  “It was handed to the British 
images,  objects made by their  live in a country in which  under the Treaty of Alexandria in 
observations,  ancestors, some seen even  your national treasures –  1801, along with other antiquities 
etc. →  as embodiment of their  things that are of historical,  that the French had found, and 
ancestors, only belong at  cultural and sometimes  shipped to London, where it was 
home.”  religious and spiritual  put on display a year later.” 
significance – are in the 
 museums of other 
countries.” 

Notes,  The Rosetta Stone should be returned to their origin because these artifacts represent the 
sources,  art, culture, and the technological processes throughout Egypt history. These are objects 
description of  made by their ancestors as it connect into the past as a symbol for many events that 
research  happen in the countries. With the British taking these artifacts away from Egypt, 
method used  Egyptian cannot use or admire them as the British is injuring the Egypt culture. The 
Other →  Rosetta Stone contain fragments of passages written in three different scripts: Greek, 
Egyptian hieroglyphics and Egyptian demotic. As these scripts are part of the culture and 
are symbols that represent Egypt important religious, Egypt should have the right to own 
the artifact and display it in the Museum of Egypt for their people to admire the history of 
their countries.  
 
Another reason the Rosetta Stone should be returned is because in regard of the Treaty of 
Alexandria. After the french troops was defeated by British and Ottoman forces, they 
had retreated to Alexandria where they were offered to surrender and did the treaty. As 
the treaty was named after the place, Alexandria, where the treaty was done. The Treaty 
of Alexandria consist that "the Arabian manuscripts, the statues, and the other 
collections which have been made for the French Republic, shall be considered as public 
property, and subject to the disposal of the generals of the combined army." This led to the 
transfer to British possession of the Rosetta Stone and other Egyptian antiquities 
collected by the French. This treaty was done with French and the British where Egypt 
was not a part of it as a result of the treaty does not apply for Egypt where the artifact was 
looted from by the Napoleon.  
 
Thomas, N. (2018, December 7). Should colonial art be returned home? Retrieved from 
https://www.ft.com/content/6c61c6e6-f7ed-11e8-af46-2022a0b02a6c​. 
 
Soussi, A. (2019, September 10). The repatriation debate: should museums return colonial 
artefacts? Retrieved from 
https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/art/the-repatriation-debate-should-museums-return-co
lonial-artefacts-1.908805​. 
 
Capitulation of Alexandria (1801). (2019, September 22). Retrieved from 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulation_of_Alexandria_(1801)​. 
 

Sub-Research  What are some reasons  Search terms / keywords →  Rosetta Stone should stay in 
Question 3 →  the Rosetta Stone should  the museum. 
stay in the museum? 
(counter-argument) 
Quotes,  “Opponents of repatriation     
images,  have often argued that 
observations,  artefacts are better looked 
etc. →  after in major western 
institutions, but Dr Tawfik 
said his museum, which is 
to open outside Cairo in 
2020 with 50,000 exhibits, 
would have the technology 
to “protect” them and 
“prolong their life”.” 

Notes,  Now I realized in the past, your museum has argued that Egypt does not have the 
sources,  technology and ability to take care of and protect the artifact. As the artifact won’t be able 
description of  to prolong for a long time and that there is no good museum to handle the artifact. 
research   
method used  However, I think your argument might not be valid because that is way back into the 
Other →  past, now Egypt has developed and finally we are able to protect the artifact. Dr Tarek 
Tawfik, director general of the Grand Egyptian Museum, has said that “his museum, 
which is to open outside Cairo in 2020 with 50,000 exhibits, would have the technology 
to “protect” them and “prolong [the artifact] life”.” This demonstrates how Egypt are 
capable to handle the artifact allowing the artifact to be displayed in their origin places. 
 
 
Dex, R. (2018, November 6). A Giza museum wants the British Museums Rosetta Stone back 
in Egypt. Retrieved from 
https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/british-museum-rosetta-stone-egypt-a3981736.ht
ml​. 
 

Criterion B Strand 4: reflect on the process and results of the investigation. 

Process  Things that was difficult  Results   In this assignment I make 

(think about  about this assignment was  (Think about the  multiple sub-research questions 
criterion B  to decide on which side of  information you discovered  to help me answer my research 
strands 1-3)  the argument to choose on  and any new questions you  question. I did multiple research 
and do research to support  might have)  on the artifact’s background, 
my ideas/opinion.   arriving at the British museum, 
Skills I think I need to work  argument why the artifact should 
on more next time is  be returned to their original 
time-management skills  places and the counter-argument 
because I didn’t organize  why artifact should be kept at the 
my time well as a result of  Britsh museum. From doing the 
rushed work on the past  research I learn multiple things 
few days. I spend a lot of  and different people’s 
time rushing and trying to  perspective on argument that 
finish this assignment on  are actually happening in the 
time while working on other  world. 
subjects, causing me to 
sleep late multiple night.