Petition · past parliament
Return Rosetta Stone to Egypt
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Remove the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum and send it back to Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
“Carved in 196BC, the Rosetta Stone is the linguistic key to deciphering hieroglyphics and probably the single-most important conduit of understanding between the modern world and ancient Egypt.” Cahal Milmo, The Independent
It’s horrific theft to continue to deprive a nation of what rightfully belongs to them. Really we should pay them compensation for income lost by taking it too, but returning it to its rightful home would be a start.
The Rosetta Stone belongs to Egypt.
It’s horrific theft to continue to deprive a nation of what rightfully belongs to them. Really we should pay them compensation for income lost by taking it too, but returning it to its rightful home would be a start.
The Rosetta Stone belongs to Egypt.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
We can't accept your petition because it's about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not responsible for.
The repatriation of an item from the collection of the British Museum is a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, not the UK Government or Parliament.
The repatriation of an item from the collection of the British Museum is a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, not the UK Government or Parliament.
Timeline
| 8 Jun 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 18 Aug 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
18 Aug 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.