Discovery at Rosetta: Revealing Ancient Egypt

27 Sep 2022

pittadmin

Announced by the University of Pittsburgh:

Virtual Book Talk with Jonathan Downs:

Discovery at Rosetta: Revealing Ancient Egypt

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte entered Egypt with an army and a brigade of savants, scientists, anthropologists, and historians. His aim was not just conquest on the banks of the Nile but the rediscovery of the ancient world after centuries of Ottoman rule. At the heart of this quest was a stone that was discovered in the small town of Rosetta that would offer the key to unlock the mysteries of ancient Egypt. Discovery at Rosetta tells the full story of how the English won the battle to claim the Stone and how it was then shipped to England.

British historian, journalist and editor, Jonathan Downs is author of Sea-Soldier (T.Wella, 2000), The Industrial Revolution 1770-1809 (Stroud, 2010), and Discovery at Rosetta, (London & NY 2008; Cairo 2020)—the first full account of the British acquisition of the Rosetta Stone in 1801, from discovery to decipherment. He has lectured at universities and private associations on the subject of Napoleonic Egypt, and written numerous articles concerning the repatriation of Egyptian artefacts and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution for the UK’s History Today magazine. He currently lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

Event Date: 
Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Institution(s): 
Sponsored By: 
AUC Press: Reading the Middle East
Location: 
Virtual