What do people mean when they say, 'This is our Rosetta Stone'?

Question

I'm exploring Hockney's thesis on Renaissance painting (as part of my photography degree, we explore visual history), and have come across a text where it says 'This is our Rosette Stone'

Answer 1

The Rosetta Stone had three different scripts and allowed people to decipher one of these languages for the first time (in the West).

So, people probably mean it's the solution to a problem/the clues pointing the way/a means to an end. It may also mean it's the guide to opening up something/seeing things differently - in your art context.

Repros can be purchased from the British Museum where it is housed - I say this because I bought my History teacher one as a present (years ago)!

Answer 2

As above the "Rosetta stone" is like having a key to decipher an era of history - a language or a time and place.
The stone tablet was found in Rosetta, Egypt when Napoleon's army invaded in 1799 CE. The text is made up of 3 translations of a single passage, written in two Egyptian language scripts (hieroglyphic and demotic), and in classical Greek. It dates back to 196 BC when Greek was the language of the area of Egypt around Alexandria (controlled by Greek speaking people since the time of Alexander the Great who died in 323 BC). No one in modern times could decipher the language of the ancient Egyptians until this key was found showing the characters in Classical Greek which was still understood in 1799 CE.

Answer 3

The Rosetta stone was able to be translated because it had many text interpretations in different languages when you could read one language you knew the answer to the others . So it has become synonymous with undertanding an ancient language like a decoder

Answer 4

The Rosetta stone was a GREEK tablet written in Greek, Hierogliphics and hieratic (the common egyptian language). It was erected in 196BC by the Ptolomaic rulers (who were the Greek/Macedonians who took control of Egypt following the death of Alexander in 323BC).

It was found by Napolean's forces in Rosetta, Egypt in 1798. And taken by the English following the defeat of the French in Egypt.
The historical importance was that all 3 sections were line for line identical- meaning that it allowed us to translate Egyptian hierogliphics.

So the saying basically means that it allowed us to translate or figure out something; usually something w/o we could not have done it. Sorta like a key or legend in a cruder sense.

Answer 5

the Rosetta stone was a stone with the same inscriptions in Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics and (Aramaic?)

previously, people had no way to read hieroglyphics.... however, from that stone people could translate the hieroglyphics into Greek, and then into English. It took many years of painstaking work, but now people are able to translate directly from hieroglyphics into English

a Rosetta stone has come to mean anything which you can use to translate one medium into another

there is a set of language courses called 'Rosetta stone'

Answer 6

The Rosetta Stone, discovered by Napoleon during his campaign in Eqypt in 1798(?), related written Greek to Eqyptian Hieroglyphics. Before this the world had no way to accurately interpret Eqyptian Hieroglyphics. So it enabled us to understand a significant period in world history that was previously and utterly unavailable.

Answer 7

The Rosetta Stone is a stone containing ancient texts which enabled historians to translate ancient languages and unlock vast amounts of 'lost' history. It is one of the great discoveries of modern times. To 'find your Rosetta Stone' is to make an amazing discovery which has a dramatic affect on a particular field of work.

Answer 8

The Rosetta stone was an ancient egyptian artifact that allowed scientists to better understand the language of Hieroglyphics. Therefore when people say this is our "Rosetta Stone" they mean whatever they are talking about allows them to better understand the field it is in.

Answer 9

Rosetta stone had same stories written in different langueges, acting as a dictionary.

Answer 10

A set of laws or decrees cast in stone in Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC.