About
The Development Process
The arduous process of developing these replicas has been time-consuming and expensive — taking well over four years. Under the umbrella of The Freeman Institute® Foundation, Joel Freeman (Rosetta Classic, LLC) has developed a life-size, 3-D mold of the Rosetta Stone (45″ tall x 30″ wide x 11″ thick).
The face of the mold, which is the most important part of the Stone, has been lasered from the face of the 1st generation cast mentioned in the history section of this blog. The sides and rear of the Rosetta Stone replica have been painstakingly rendered artistically from photos of the various views of the Rosetta Stone taken by Dr. Freeman on his many visits to the British Museum over the decades.
The Rosetta Stone was cleaned in 2004 by the British Museum. Along with many other interesting aspects, the cleaning of the Rosetta Stone basically revealed that it was made of granodiorite, not basalt. We are confident that the cleaning process did not alter the original integrity of the face of the Rosetta Stone. If that is the case, the cleaning of the Rosetta Stone did not alter the structure, the precise placement or design of the lettering, or its external shape/form. It is those elements upon which we focus.
The museum-quality facsimiles we are designing will be about as close as anyone can get to owning or exhibiting the real thing. We are also constructing a cylinder base (30″ tall x 28″ across).
Why are we doing all this? Watching reruns of the “Jay Walking” segments with Jay Leno on evening TV reveals how little knowledge people possess about modern or ancient history. It’s as sad and as frightening as it is humorous.
Our desire is to educate people — young and old alike — about the significance of the Rosetta Stone, understanding its role in cracking the code to Hieroglyphics — which helped to spawn the intriguing fields of Archaeology and Egyptology — a cryptologist’s dream.
People viewing the Rosetta Stone replica exhibitions will want to learn more. Our main passion is to develop an excitement in the hearts of people to want to travel to view the real artifact/artefact (Rosetta Stone), which is exhibited in London at the British Museum.
The reconstruction part of making the life-size mold is a painstaking process and we will take our time to make sure that the face of the replica is designed as close to perfection as is possible. We have already developed a 3-D digital image of the Rosetta Stone through Direct Dimensions. From this image we are creating the aluminum mold. The mold will then be used to fabricate the full-size, 3-D replicas, which is being fabricated by MAG Fadal.
LASER SCANNING (Non-Contact)
Laser Scanning is the process of shining a structured laser line over the surface of an object in order to collect 3-dimensional data. The surface data is captured by a camera sensor mounted in the laser scanner which records accurate dense 3D points in space. Laser Scanners are non-contact devices used to gather 3D digital data from a variety of objects. A beam of light passes over the object while a camera mounted inside the scanner records the position of the laser. This 3D data is then transferred to the computer and the image is “drawn” in 3D on the screen. The Xystum XSM (pictured to the right) automatic 3-axis machine with a laser scanning probe option is what was used on the Rosetta Stone Replica project. Accuracy: 0.0005″ — Direct Dimensions, one of the leading companies in this technology in the world has completed this part of the project.
Digital Modeling is the process of creating a computer model of an object that exactly replicates the form of the object. Laser scanners are used to capture the 3D data of the object, and then this data is transferred to the computer where it is aligned and edited and finalized as a complete 3D model.
THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
OF THIS REPLICA PROJECT
i. We believe that we are the first and only entity in the world to offer commercially-available, full-size, 3-D replicas of the original Rosetta Stone to potential purchasers for whatever private or public interests they may have. In other words, a potential customer is not required to represent a bona fide museum or educational institution to obtain one of our innovative Rosetta Stone replicas. Our full-size, 3-D replicas are available for purchase by anyone in the general public. This is one of the most compelling aspects of this project, which matches our desire to provide a hands-on experience with a replica of one of the important archaeological artifacts ever discovered…for millions of people.
ii. We provide a special discount for museums, educational institutions and any other bona fide non-profit organization that desires to use the replica for educational/exhibition purposes (31% off introductory price for Classic Rosetta model). Tell us about your organization (include your website) when you ask for more information.
iii. We are developing various models to match large or small budgets — unique innovations that exhibit well in either large or small spaces — for domestic or more expansive exhibition purposes.
iv. Once you have selected the model you want to purchase, we can generally ship a replica within 3-4 weeks to any customer, anywhere in the world — a rather quick turn-around for something of such unusually fine quality…hand-crafted especially for you. These are not “off the shelf” replicas made on some assembly line in China. All replicas are made in the USA.
v. We provide excellent, world-class customer service before, during and after your delivery. We will respond ASAP to any of your questions via email or phone (410.729.4011). Upon request, customer references are available.
vi. Here’s one of the most exciting features: Our Classic Rosetta models mimic the appearance of the genuine Rosetta Stone (after the original Rosetta Stone was cleaned in 2004). The rose-colored vein of granodiorite that came to light after the 2004 cleaning of the original Rosetta Stone is set in the upper left hand corner of our natural colored, 3-D replicas. This is an extremely difficult aspect of the original Rosetta Stone to duplicate when fabricating a three dimensional piece of art, utilizing rotational casting technology. It is our objective to offer nothing but excellence on every level. You’ll see…
Rosetta Classic is not affiliated with the British Museum,
which has not endorsed or sponsored Rosetta Classic,
The Freeman Institute Foundation, or the Rosetta Stone replica project.
Contact: Joel A. Freeman, Ph.D.
Email: joel@blogrosettastone.com
Phone: 410.729.4011
Web: www.RosettaStoneReplicas.com
www.FreemanInstitute.com
