Egyptians call for the return of the Rosetta Stone and other ancient artifacts

The petition calling for the return of the ancient Egyptian works states, "The presence of these artefacts in the British Museum to this day supports past colonial endeavors of cultural violence and deprives Egypt as the country of origin of not only the physical return of these objects, but also of their important role as Egyptian cultural heritage that spans a millennia of rich history." (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Thousands of Egyptians are demanding the repatriation of the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum back to its home country.

The iconic artifact, which helped scientists finally decode Egyptian hieroglyphs almost exactly 200 years ago, has been in English hands since Napoleon gave it up – as well as 16 other artifacts – as part of the Treaty of Alexandria in 1801.