Monumental clash
The foreign press once again gets in the way of Hawass' crusade to save Egypt's history
Hawass lays down the law for Egypt's monuments
Egypt's lead archeologist responded on 25 September to accusations by the British press that he is "ruining British archeology" and seeking the spotlight.
"Do I need to be more famous? I mean there is no archaeologist who really did what I did in my life. And there is no archaeologist who is known in the streets of Europe and America like me," declared Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), at a press conference organized by the Foreign Press Association.
Hawass's comments come on the heels of a 22 August London Times article, which suggested an anti-British bias and claimed he was using "cultural nationalism to appease Islamic fundamentalists."
Ever since the Discovery Channel's 18 August launch of the mega-drama Nefertiti, centered on British Egyptologist Joann Fletcher's claim to have found the ancient queen's mummy, the ensuing controversy has brought into sharp focus the relationship between foreign and Egyptian archaeologists working in the country. With over 300 ongoing foreign expeditions currently in Egypt, many are watching closely to see what the ramifications of this latest fallout will be.
However, Salima Ikram, professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo and coauthor of The Mummy in Ancient Egypt, doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. Ikram called this "Nefertiti business absurd" and noted that "for several decades, foreign missions in Egypt have been going along quite happily."
In recent months, the SCA, led by Hawass, has come under fire for the first in a series of sweeping changes that it seeks to implement throughout Egypt. These include the erection of a massive wall around the Giza plateau and the closure of many excavation sites throughout the country. However, Hawass denies that this is any sort of punishment against foreign expeditions, explaining that the changes were well in the works before Fletcher and her team began their expedition.
"I made rules. Not only for foreigners, but for Egyptians... for the sake of the monuments. The first time that we make rules our rules should be respected," he said. "When I travel to London and I make one mistake I would be banished... why now do they do not accept that Egypt makes rules? I don't understand."
Among the most dramatic of these changes is the halt on all new excavations in Upper Egypt for at least the next 14 years, allowing authorities and Egyptologists to refocus their attention on critical issues such as site management, while launching a national three year project for monument restoration. Education is also part of the SCA's new vision and direction. The construction of 13 new national museums across Egypt has started or is set to begin in the coming year, focusing on a variety of new, different themes. Examples include the Mosaic Museum in Alexandria, a museum in Damietta dedicated to the development of furniture from the Pharaonic period through to modern times and, of course, the Grand Museum in Cairo which is set to open its doors six years from now.
However, Ikram cautions that the winds of change must be used to sail at a sustainable clip. "There are good things and bad things. Trying to accomplish too many things in too little time can be dangerous. Not quite as many museums and cultural centers need to be constructed as are being. However, I must say that it is great for Egyptians," she said. "Egyptian culture is being instilled in Egyptians and until recently there was no public forum for that... it will change how Egyptians view themselves."
Interestingly, to pay for the development of these new cultural and historical centers, a member of ancient Egyptian royalty will be charged with raising money. The mask of the boy king Tutankhamun is set to embark on a tour which will take him through Europe, America and Japan.
As for Nefertiti, and Fletcher's claim of having discovered her mummy, the case is currently being put before the Pyramid Committee, a group made up of 60 scholars who will examine the York University expedition's conduct and claims in greater detail.
In the meantime, the debate rages on, threatening to open an even wider crack in Egypt's archaeology community. Nevertheless, Hawass maintains that his focus is steady. "We are not going to please you to destroy the monuments. What we are doing has nothing to do with foreigners or Egyptians, but solely to do with the preservation of the monuments."
