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== History ==
== History ==
The history of the British Museum began when Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) left his collection of more than 71,000 objects to King George for the nation in return for payment of £20,000 to his heirs. A group of Trustees was charged with supervising the collection. The King did not show much interest first but he was persuaded to accept it and an Act of Parliament established the British Museum in 1753.
The history of the British Museum began when Sir [[Hans Sloane]] (1660-1753) left his collection of more than 71,000 objects to [[King George]] for the nation in return for payment of £20,000 to his heirs. A group of Trustees was charged with supervising the collection. The King did not show much interest first but he was persuaded to accept it and an Act of Parliament established the British Museum in 1753.
The Cotton collection of manuscripts, which had been given to the nation in 1700, was added to the collection and the Harleian collection of manuscripts was purchased, too.
The Cotton collection of manuscripts, which had been given to the nation in 1700, was added to the collection and the Harleian collection of manuscripts was purchased, too.
== Antiquities ==
== Antiquities ==
The purchase of Sir William Hamilton's collection of Greek vases and
The purchase of Sir [[William Hamilton]]'s collection of Greek vases and
other classical objects in 1772 meant the beginning of numerous other acquisitions of antiquities, including the Rosetta Stone, a basalt tablet with inscriptions in Greek and in Egyptian hieroglyphic and demotic scripts on it, which provided the key to the decipherment of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script.
other classical objects in 1772 meant the beginning of numerous other acquisitions of antiquities, including the [[Rosetta Stone]], a basalt tablet with inscriptions in Greek and in Egyptian hieroglyphic and demotic scripts on it, which provided the key to the decipherment of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic script.
== Departments ==
== Departments ==