Thousands of Egyptians are calling for the British Museum to hand over the Rosetta Stone.

After being discovered by colonialists in Egypt in 1799, the carvings on the artifact proved to be the key to understanding ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

In honour of the 200th anniversary of the stone’s decipherment, the stone is the focal point of a new display in London’s largest museum.

The British Museum is home to more than 100,000 artifacts from Egypt and Sudan, including the Rosetta Stone.

Scores of Egyptians are demanding the return of the black granite slab.

The museum claims that it legally acquired the stone.