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Zahi Hawass | |
---|---|
زاهي حواس | |
1st Minister of Antiquities | |
In office January 31,2011 –March 3,2011 | |
President | Hosni Mubarak |
Prime Minister | Ahmed Shafik |
Preceded by | Office created |
Succeeded by | Mohamed Ibrahim Ali |
In office April 5,2011 –July 17,2011 | |
Prime Minister | Essam Sharaf |
Succeeded by | Mohamed Said |
Personal details | |
Born | Damietta,Kingdom of Egypt (present-day Egypt) | May 28,1947
Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania (MA,PhD) Cairo University Alexandria University (BA) |
Profession | Egyptologist |
Website | hawasszahi |
Zahi Abass Hawass (Egyptian Arabic :زاهيحواس;born May 28,1947) is an Egyptian archaeologist,Egyptologist,and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities,a position he served twice in. He has worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta,the Western Desert and the Upper Nile Valley.
Hawass was born in a small village near Damietta,Egypt. Although he originally dreamed of becoming an attorney, [1] he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Greek and Roman Archaeology from Alexandria University in 1967. In 1979,Hawass earned a diploma in Egyptology from Cairo University. [2] He then worked at the Great Pyramids as an inspector—a combination of administrator and archaeologist.
When he was 33 years old,Hawass was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to study Egyptology, [1] earning a Master of Arts degree in the subject and also one in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology in 1983,and his PhD in Egyptology in 1987 [1] [2] from the Graduate Group in the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (AAMW),concentrating on "The Funerary Establishments of Khufu,Khafra and Menkaura During the Old Kingdom." [3]
He is often mistaken for being a Coptic Christian because of his name,even though he is Muslim. [4]
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(January 2016) |
Hawass was Associate Director of Excavation at Hermopolis in 1968 and Tarrana 1970–74. Since 1975, he has been Excavation Director and Restoration Director at various sites throughout Egypt, predominantly Giza. [5]
From 1969 to 1975, Hawass was Inspector of Antiquities for a multitude of archaeological expeditions, for instance the Yale Expedition at Abydos, Egypt in 1969, and Abu Simbel between 1972 and 1974. [6]
He sporadically taught Egyptian archaeology and history and culture at universities in Egypt and the USA between 1988 and 2001, most notably at the American University in Cairo, the University of California, Los Angeles and Alexandria University. Hawass has described his efforts as trying to help institute a systematic program for the preservation and restoration of historical monuments, while training Egyptians to improve their expertise on methods of excavation, retrieval and preservation. [7]
Hawass was Inspector of Antiquities for Giza 1972–74, First Inspector until 1979 and Chief Inspector in 1980. Starting in 1987, he held the position of Director General of the Giza monuments, which included the sites of Giza, Saqqara, Memphis, Dahshur, Abusir and Bahariya Oasis.
After the discovery of Gantenbrink's Door in 1993, he left the position – according to Hawass, a resignation [8] – but was reinstated several months later, following a change in leadership and the transformation of the Egyptian Antiquities Organization into the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
He was promoted to Undersecretary of the State for the Giza Monuments in 1998. [9]
Hawass continues to be involved in archaeological projects at Giza and other sites in Egypt. As of 2017 [update] , he headed the science committee overseeing the ScanPyramids project. [10]
In 2002, Hawass was appointed as the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. When US President Barack Obama visited Cairo in June 2009, Hawass gave him personal tours of ancient Egyptian archaeological sites. [11] Facing mandatory retirement, he was promoted by President Hosni Mubarak to the post of Vice Minister of Culture at the end of 2009. [12] [13]
On January 29, 2011, in the midst of the Egyptian protests of that year, Hawass arrived at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to find that a number of cases had been broken into and a number of antiquities damaged, so police were brought in to secure the museum. [14] According to Andrew Lawler, reporting for Science, Hawass said that he "faxed a colleague in Italy that 13 cases were destroyed. My heart is broken and my blood is boiling". [15]
Hawass later told The New York Times that thieves looking for gold broke 70 objects, including two sculptures of the pharaoh Tutankhamun and took two skulls from a research lab, before being stopped as they left the museum. [16]
Hawass was appointed to the position of Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, a newly created cabinet post, by Mubarak on January 31, 2011, as part of a cabinet shake-up during the 2011 protests. [15] [16] [17] [ dead link ] A press release including a statement from Hawass stated that he "will continue excavating, writing books, and representing his country," [18] ensuring that archaeological sites in Egypt were being safeguarded and looted objects returned.[ citation needed ] Regarding the Egyptian Museum looting, he said: "The museum was dark and the nine robbers did not recognise the value of what was in the vitrines. They opened thirteen cases, threw the seventy objects on the ground and broke them, including one Tutankhamun case, from which they broke the statue of the king on a panther. However, the broken objects can all be restored, and we will begin the restoration process this week."[ This quote needs a citation ] [17] Hawass rejected comparisons with the looting of antiquities in Iraq and Afghanistan. [16]
On February 13, Mahmoud Kassem of Bloomberg reported Hawass as saying that "18 artifacts, including statues of King Tutankhamun", were stolen from the Egyptian Museum in January; Kassem, paraphrasing Hawass, continues: "The missing objects include 11 wooden shabti statuettes from Yuya, a gilded wooden statue of Tutankhamun carried by a goddess and a statue of Nefertiti making offerings". [19]
Egyptian state television reported that Hawass called upon Egyptians not to believe the “lies and fabrications” of the Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya satellite television channels. [20] Hawass later said: “They should give us the opportunity to change things, and if nothing happens they can march again. But you can’t bring in a new president now, in this time. We need Mubarak to stay and make the transition”. [16] On March 3, 2011, he resigned after a list was posted on his personal website of dozens of sites across Egypt that were looted during the 2011 protests. [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]
Hawass was reappointed Minister of Antiquities by then-Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. [26] [27] On March 30, 2011, a tweet was posted, stating: "I am very happy to be the Minister of Antiquities once again!" [28] but resigned on July 17, 2011,[ citation needed ] after Sharaf informed him he would not be continuing in the position. [29] According to opinion report from an Egyptian commentator in The Guardian, Hawass was "sacked". [30] [ dubious – discuss ][ better source needed ]
As his biography at the National Geographic Explorers webpage notes, he states that he is
responsible for many recent discoveries, including the tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya. At Giza, he also uncovered the satellite pyramid of Khufu. In 2005, as part of the National Geographic Society-sponsored Egyptian Mummy Project to learn more about patterns of disease, health, and mortality in ancient Egypt, he led a team that CT scanned the mummy of King Tutankhamun. His team is continuing to CT scan mummies, both royal and private, and hopes to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the lives and deaths of such important figures as Hatshepsut and Nefertiti. [31]
Hawass has appeared on television specials on channels such as the National Geographic Channel , the History Channel and the Discovery Channel . [32] Hawass has also appeared in several episodes of the U.S. television show Digging for the Truth , discussing mummies, the pyramids, Tutankhamun, Cleopatra and Ramesses II. He also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries during a segment on the curse of Tutankhamun's tomb. In 2010, Hawass appeared on a reality-based television show on The History Channel called Chasing Mummies . [33]
Hawass also worked alongside Egyptologist Otto Schaden during the opening of Tomb KV63 in February 2006 – the first intact tomb to be found in the Valley of the Kings since 1922. [34]
In June 2007, Hawass announced that he and a team of experts may have identified the mummy of Hatshepsut, [35] in KV60, a small tomb in the Valley of the Kings.[ citation needed ] The opening of the sealed tomb was described in 2006 as "one of the most important events in the Valley of the Kings for almost a hundred years." [36]
Hawass was interviewed about his work by Keith Floyd as part of his television series Floyd around the Med in the episode "Cairo, Egypt and Aswan to Luxor" (2000).
Hawass was the host of the documentary Egypt's Ten Greatest Discoveries .
Hawass has repeatedly spearheaded movements to return many prominent and irregularly taken Ancient Egyptian artifacts back to Egypt from collections in various other countries. Examples of these artifacts include: the Rosetta Stone, the bust of Nefertiti, the Dendera zodiac ceiling painting from the Dendera Temple, the bust of Ankhhaf (the architect of the Khafre Pyramid), the faces of Amenhotep III's tomb at the Louvre Museum, the Luxor Temple's obelisk at the Place de la Concorde and the statue of Hemiunu.
In July 2003, the Egyptians requested the return of the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum. Hawass, then serving as Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo, spoke at a press conference saying: "If the British want to be remembered, if they want to restore their reputation, they should volunteer to return the Rosetta Stone because it is the icon of our Egyptian identity". [37] [38] Referring to Egyptian antiquities at the British Museum, Hawass said: "These are Egyptian monuments. I will make life miserable for anyone who keeps them". [39]
In 2019, Hawass relaunched his restitution campaign, asking the Berlin State Museums, the British Museum and the Musée du Louvre: “How can you refuse to lend to the new Grand Egyptian Museum when you have taken so many antiquities from Egypt?" All three museums refused his loan requests. [40]
In 2022, Hawass launched another petition, calling once again for the return of the Rosetta Stone, the bust of Nefertiti and the Dendera Zodiac ceiling to Egypt. [41] [40]
Hawass has been skeptical of the DNA testing of Egyptian mummies: "From what I understand," he has said, "it is not always accurate and it cannot always be done with complete success when dealing with mummies. Until we know for sure that it is accurate, we will not use it in our research." [42]
In December 2000, a joint team from Waseda University in Japan and Cairo's Ain Shams University tried to get permission for DNA testing of Egyptian mummies, but was denied by the Egyptian Government. [43] Hawass stated at the time that DNA analysis was out of the question because it would not lead to anything. [44]
In February 2010, Hawass and his team announced that they had analyzed the mummies of Tutankhamun and ten other mummies and said that the king could have died from a malaria infection that followed a leg fracture. [45] German researchers Christian Timmann and Christian Meyer have cast doubt on this theory, suggesting other possible alternatives for Tutankhamun's cause of death. [46]
In 2012, a study signed by Hawass disclosed that Ramses III may have had a haplogroup E1b1a that most dominant in Sub-Saharan Africa, and it also occurs at moderate frequencies in North Africa, West Asia, and Southern Europe. [47]
A 2020 study by Gad, Hawass, et al. analysed mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal haplogroups from Tutankhamun's family members of the 18th Dynasty, using comprehensive control procedures to ensure quality results. The study found that the Y-chromosome haplogroup of the family was R1b. Haplogroup R1b is carried by modern Egyptians. Modern Egypt is also the only African country that is known to harbor all three R1 subtypes, including R1b-M269. While mitochondrial linage was found to be on K and H2b, both haplogroups did not originate in Africa yet it exists in both Ancient and Modern Egyptians. [48]
Hawass refutes Afrocentrist Claims of Ancient Egyptian history, he explained “We are not against Black people at all, but we are against this group that entered the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir to announce ideas that have no basis in truth and are fantasies”, that after a group of Afrocentric travel group was founded to be falsifying history in the Egyptian Museum. [49] he added "“There is a very important fact Afrocentrists need to know: the depictions on Egyptian temples from the Old Kingdom to the end of the Late Period show the King of Egypt and in front of him are captives from Africa, Libya, Syria, and Palestine,” he said referring to Ramses III Prisoner tiles among other evidence that show the difference between Egyptians and their neighbors.
Following Netflix's Cleopatra controversy, Hawas appeared in a 90-minute documentary "Cleopatra", released on director Curtis Ryan Woodside's YouTube channel, describes itself as telling the "true" story of the Ptolemaic dynasty's last ruler. "Was Cleopatra black? First of all, I have nothing against black people at all, but I am stating the facts -- look at the Macedonian queens, none of them were black", Hawass, says in the documentary. [50] Yet he criticized the lawsuit against Netflix over the film stating “We can’t make a case against the Netflix platform, because we will definitely lose as they have the right to broadcast as long as it is a matter of freedom of opinion, and we can make a movie that overshadows everything they did.. but our case against them will not be successful.” he also pointed out, “Two years ago, Mostafa Waziri (the Supreme Council of Antiquities) and I worked with the Netflix platform on the archaeological discoveries in Saqqara, and the film has been translated into 129 languages and will be released soon. They broadcast all the work.” [51]
In 2023, after ending his lecture about ancient Egypt at Columbus, Ohio, world-renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass asks the audience whether they have any questions. An Afro-American woman stands up and asks: “Why do you attack us?”. He said “When the woman asked me this question, I replied, ‘No I didn’t attack you, but let’s discuss the evidence that refutes the claim of ancient Egypt’s black African origins’,” and he went on explaining and providing evidence that Ancient Egyptian civilization is Egyptian made not African made, “African countries and Egypt share the same Nile. But the ancient Egyptian civilization occurred here in Egypt, not in any other African country,” said Hawass “The granite came from Aswan, diorite from Nubia, sandstone from Kom Ombo, alabaster from Het-Nub in Middle Egypt, white limestone from Tura, basalt from Fayoum and turquoise and copper from Sinai. Egypt also has plenty of gold,” he explained. [52]
Hawas criticized a tweet by US billionaire Elon Musk claiming that aliens built the pyramids, he stated in TV interview that that studying ancient Egyptian civilization provides a comprehensive understanding of its secrets. “Elon Musk’s comment on the pyramids indicates his lack of knowledge about the history of Egyptian civilization,” he said. He noted that there are those who spread false rumors about ancient Egyptian civilization to gain attention, stressing: “Anyone who doubts Egyptian civilization, I will confront them. I am holding a stick for anyone who spreads these false rumors.” [53] Hawas often refer to Merer Papyrus and Tombs of pyramids builders as the biggest evidence on the fact that the pyramids were built by Egyptian workers.
Hawass said that the archeology and antiquities do not contain proof that Moses or Joseph living in Egypt or the exodus of the Israelites from it. he said, “I am a Muslim who believes that our Master Moses lived in Egypt and that the exodus occurred from Egypt, But on the other hand, is there evidence in the antiquities that prove this?” the answer is no". [54] Hawass also asserted that there is no archeological evidence confirming the identity of the pharaoh who ruled during the arrival of the Prophets Moses and Joseph to Egypt, adding that information currently available on the issue is limited to guesses and speculation. [55]
Hawass has been accused of domineering behaviour, forbidding archaeologists to announce their own findings and courting the media for his own gain after they were denied access to archaeological sites because, according to Hawass, they were too amateurish. [56] A few, however, have said in interviews that some of what Hawass has done for the field was long overdue. [56] Hawass has typically ignored or dismissed his critics and, when asked about it, he indicated that what he does is for the sake of Egypt and the preservation of its antiquities. [57]
Hawass has been a long-standing opponent of normalised relations between Israel and Egypt. [58] In January 2009, Hawass wrote in Asharq Al-Awsat : "The concept of killing women, children, and elderly people ... seems to run in the blood of the Jews of Palestine" and that "the only thing that the Jews have learned from history is methods of tyranny and torment—so much so that they have become artists in this field." He explained that he was not referring to the Jews' "[original] faith" but rather "the faith that they forged and contaminated with their poison, which is aimed against all of mankind." [59] In an interview on Egyptian television in April 2009, Hawass stated that "although Jews are few in number, they control the entire world" and commented on the "control they have" of the American economy and the media. [60] [61] [62] He later wrote that he was using rhetoric to explain political fragmentation among the Arabs, and that he does not believe in a "Jewish conspiracy to control the world". [63]
Nevertheless, Zahi Hawass aided the Egyptian government on renovating an old dilapidated synagogue in what was once a Jewish neighborhood in Old Cairo, stating: "If you don't restore the Jewish synagogues, you lose part of your history." [64]
Criticism of Hawass, in Egypt and more broadly, increased following the protests in Egypt in 2011. On July 12, 2011, The New York Times reported that Hawass receives an honorarium each year "of as much as $200,000 from National Geographic to be an explorer-in-residence even as he controls access to the ancient sites it often features in its reports." [65] The Times also reported that he has relationships with two American companies that do business in Egypt. [65]
On April 17, 2011, Hawass was sentenced to jail for one year for refusing to obey a court ruling [66] relating to a contract for the gift shop at the Egyptian Museum to a company with links to Hawass. [65] The ruling was appealed and this specific sentence was suspended pending appeal. [66] [67] The following day, the National Council of Egypt's Administrative Court issued a decree to overturn the court's original ruling, specifying that he would serve no jail time, and would instead remain in his position as Minister of Antiquities. The jail sentence was lifted after a new contract was solicited for the running of the gift shop. [65] [68]
As Minister of Antiquities, Hawass was closely associated with the government of former President Hosni Mubarak. His resignation as minister on March 3, 2011, and his re-appointment to the Ministry on March 30, 2011, have been seen as part of the overall events surrounding Mubarak's resignation. It was reported that his re-appointment angered numerous factions, who opposed the appointment of any of the old guard under Mubarak to new positions in the government. [69] The 2011 Egyptian protests resulted in increased criticism of Hawass. Demonstrators called for his resignation, and the upheaval increased attention on his relationship with the Mubarak family and the way in which he has increased his public profile in recent years. [65]
Hawass has lent his name to a line of men's apparel, described by The New York Times as "a line of rugged khakis, denim shirts and carefully worn leather jackets that are meant, according to the catalog copy, to hark "back to Egypt’s golden age of discovery in the early 20th century"; the clothing was first sold at Harrods department store in London, in April 2011. [66] Critics say the Hawass clothing commercializes Egyptian history, and objected to their understanding that "models had sat on or scuffed priceless ancient artifacts during the photo shoot", an accusation that was denied by Hawass and the clothing manufacturers. [66] Hawass already sells a line of Stetson hats reproducing the ones he wears, which "very much resemble" the ones worn by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movies. [66]
Hawas is married to Fekrya Hawas, a gynecologist whom he met in 1967. they have two grown sons, one a physician, the other a restaurateur, both living in Cairo. [70] [71]
He was a close friend with actor Omar Sharif and accompanied him in his final days until his death in 2015. in 2020, Hawas posted an Instagram post remembering his friend "yesterday I remembered my dear friend Omar El-Sherif who was born on April 10th. We used to celebrate together and I would sing for him the song by Marilyn Monroe celebrating the birthday of President JF Kennedy and he would sing the same song to me on my birthday." [72]
Hawas was a friend of Jehan Sadat, the former First Lady of Egypt. Hawas and Sadat organized "private tour of the country’s pharaonic sites" for guests [73] for years until her death in 2021, "Her charisma was electrifying to an extent that when she spoke the audience would be so silent you could hear a pin drop" Hawas said remembering her. [74]
Hawass is the recipient of the Egyptian state award of the first degree for his work in the Sphinx restoration project. [75] In 2001, he was silver medallist offered by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. [76] In 2002, he was awarded the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate and the glass obelisk from US scholars for his efforts to the protection and preservation of Ancient Egyptian monuments. [75] [77] In 2003, Hawass was given international membership in the Russian Academy for Natural Sciences (RANS) [75] and, in 2006, he was chosen as one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time . [75] In 2015, he was awarded the Golden Memorial Medal of Charles University. [78] In 2018, he was awarded by the Academia Brasileira de Letras for being the only archaeologist who wrote more than 30 books. [79] In the same year, he received the Presidential Medal of the Republic of Kosovo in recognition for his entire academic output. [80] Also in 2018, he received the grand prize of the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture. [81] In 2022, he received the plaque of honour from the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences of Cairo. [82]
Hawass has received many honorary degrees. From outside Egypt, he has received honorary doctorates from the University of Pennsylvania (2000), [83] the University of Lisbon (2011), [84] the Chandrakasem Rajabhat University (2011), [85] the New Bulgarian University (2016), [86] the Universidad Católica Santo Domingo (2016), [87] the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (2017) [88] and the Russian State University for the Humanities (2021). [89]
Hawass has written and co-written many books relating to Egyptology, including The Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures with Mummies,[ citation needed ] and King Tutankhamun: The Treasures from the Tomb, [98] the latter published to coincide with a major exhibition in the UK. [99] [100] [ better source needed ][ original research? ] He has also written on Tutankhamun for Ancient Egypt .[ citation needed ]
Hawass is a regular columnist for Egypt Today [ citation needed ] and the online historical community Heritage Key.[ citation needed ] He has narrated several videos on Egyptology, including a series on Tutankhamun. [101]
Tutankhamun or Tutankhamen, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who ruled c. 1332 – 1323 BC during the late Eighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Born Tutankhaten, he was likely a son of Akhenaten, thought to be the KV55 mummy. His mother was identified through DNA testing as The Younger Lady buried in KV35; she was a full sister of her husband.
Egyptology is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the 4th century AD.
Nefertiti was a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the great royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for their radical overhaul of state religious policy, in which they promoted the earliest known form of monotheism, Atenism, centered on the sun disc and its direct connection to the royal household. With her husband, she reigned at what was arguably the wealthiest period of ancient Egyptian history. After her husband's death, some scholars believe that Nefertiti ruled briefly as the female pharaoh known by the throne name, Neferneferuaten and before the ascension of Tutankhamun, although this identification is a matter of ongoing debate. If Nefertiti did rule as pharaoh, her reign was marked by the fall of Amarna and relocation of the capital back to the traditional city of Thebes.
Saqqara, also spelled Sakkara or Saccara in English, is an Egyptian village in the markaz (county) of Badrashin in the Giza Governorate, that contains ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, including the Pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Pyramid, and a number of mastaba tombs. Located some 30 km (19 mi) south of modern-day Cairo, Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km.
Tiye was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III, mother of pharaoh Akhenaten and grandmother of pharaoh Tutankhamun; her parents were Yuya and Thuya. In 2010, DNA analysis confirmed her as the mummy known as "The Elder Lady" found in the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35) in 1898.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum, located in Cairo, Egypt, houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world. It houses over 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display. Located in Tahrir Square in a building built in 1901, it is the largest museum in Africa. Among its masterpieces are Pharaoh Tutankhamun's treasure, including its iconic gold burial mask, widely considered one of the best-known works of art in the world and a prominent symbol of ancient Egypt.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities was established in 1994, responsible for the conservation, protection, and regulation of all antiquities and archaeological excavations in Egypt. From 1994 to 2011, the SCA was a department of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. In 2011, the Supreme Council of Antiquities became part of the independent department of the Ministry of State for Antiquites (MSA). In 2022, the department was folded into the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism.
The Giza pyramid complex in Egypt is home to the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx. All were built during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, between c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC. The site also includes several temples, cemeteries, and the remains of a workers' village.
Joann Fletcher is an Egyptologist and an honorary visiting professor in the department of archaeology at the University of York. She has published a number of books and academic articles, including several on Cleopatra, and made numerous television and radio appearances. In 2003, she controversially claimed to have identified the mummy of Queen Nefertiti.
Donald P. Ryan is an American archaeologist, Egyptologist, writer and a member of the Division of Humanities at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. His areas of research interest include Egyptian archaeology, Polynesian archaeology, the history of archaeology, the history of exploration, ancient languages and scripts, and experimental archaeology. He is best known for his research in Egypt including excavations in the Valley of the Kings where he investigated the long-neglected undecorated tombs in the royal cemetery. His work there resulted in the rediscovery of the lost and controversial tomb KV60, the re-opening of the long-buried KV21 with its two female and likely royal occupants, and the re-excavation of tombs KV27, KV28, KV44, KV45, KV48, KV49 along with work in KV20. In 2017, he rediscovered three small tombs in the Valley of the Kings which when first encountered in 1906 contained the mummies of animals including a dog and monkeys.
Qar was a doctor during the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, which lasted from about 2350 to 2180 BC. He was the royal physician.
The curse of the pharaohs or the mummy's curse is a curse alleged to be cast upon anyone who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian, especially a pharaoh. This curse, which does not differentiate between thieves and archaeologists, is claimed to cause bad luck, illness, or death. Since the mid-20th century, many authors and documentaries have argued that the curse is 'real' in the sense of having scientifically explicable causes such as bacteria, fungi or radiation. However, the modern origins of Egyptian mummy curse tales, their development primarily in European cultures, the shift from magic to science to explain curses, and their changing uses—from condemning disturbance of the dead to entertaining horror film audiences—suggest that Egyptian curses are primarily a cultural, not scientific, phenomenon.
Sesheshet, occasionally known as Sesh, was the mother of King Teti, the first and founding pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She was instrumental in enabling her son to gain the throne and reconciling two warring factions of the royal family.
The Younger Lady is the informal name given to an ancient Egyptian mummy discovered within tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings by archaeologist Victor Loret in 1898. The mummy also has been given the designation KV35YL and 61072, and currently resides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Through recent DNA tests, this mummy has been identified as the mother of the pharaoh Tutankhamun and a daughter of pharaoh Amenhotep III and his Great Royal Wife Tiye. Early speculation that this mummy was the remains of Nefertiti was argued to be incorrect, as nowhere is Nefertiti accorded the title "King's daughter" unless this mummy was in fact a cousin of Akhenaten and not a sister.
Chasing Mummies: The Amazing Adventures of Zahi Hawass is a reality television series that aired on The History Channel in the United States. Produced by Boutique TV, the series depicted the adventures of archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass and his discoveries in Egypt as he is followed by young archeological fellows and a camera crew. The series ran Wednesdays on the History Channel from July 14, 2010 until its end on September 15, 2010. The shows illustrates the complexities in the almost never-ending quest to preserve and discover artifacts from ancient Egypt.
Rainer Stadelmann was a German Egyptologist. He was considered an expert on the archaeology of the Giza Plateau.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is the Egyptian government organization which serves to protect and preserve the heritage and ancient history of Egypt. In December 2019 it was merged into the Ministry of Tourism with Khaled al-Anani retaining his function. He was replaced by Ahmed Issa as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities in a cabinet reshuffle on 13 August 2022.
The mask of Tutankhamun is a gold funerary mask that belonged to Tutankhamun, who reigned over the New Kingdom of Egypt from 1332 BC to 1323 BC, during the Eighteenth Dynasty. After being buried with Tutankhamun's mummy for over 3,000 years, it was found amidst the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by the British archaeologist Howard Carter at the Valley of the Kings in 1925. Since then, it has been on display at the Egyptian Museum in the city of Cairo. In addition to being one of the best-known works of art in the world, it is a prominent symbol of ancient Egypt.
Mostafa Waziri is an Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and the former secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.
The archaeology of Ancient Egypt is the study of the archaeology of Egypt, stretching from prehistory through three millennia of documented history. Egyptian archaeology is one of the branches of Egyptology.
Zahi Abass Hawass / The Funerary Establishments of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura During the Old Kingdom / 1987
Subtitle: A definitive answer to the question: Should the Elgin Marbles be returned to Greece?
The current political upheaval in Egypt has put the country's famed antiquities, from its museums to archaeological sites, under siege. / On 29 January, a small band of looters entered Cairo's Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, slicing the heads from two mummies, smashing display cases, and damaging other artifacts, according to media reports and Zahi Hawass, the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Hawass, who a source says has been promoted to the new position of Minister of Antiquities as part of a cabinet shakeup yesterday, faxed a colleague in Italy that 13 cases were destroyed. "My heart is broken and my blood is boiling," the U.S.-trained archaeologist lamented.
A vast majority of Egypt's museums and archaeological sites are secure and have not been looted, Zahi Hawass, Egypt's chief antiquities official, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. He also rejected comparisons between the current situation in Egypt and scenes of chaos and discord that resulted in the destruction of artifacts in Iraq and Afghanistan. / 'People are asking me, "Do you think Egypt will be like Afghanistan?" ' he said. 'And I say, "No, Egyptians are different — they love me because I protect antiquities." '
The Egyptian Museum reported that 18 artifacts, including statues of King Tutankhamun, are missing after a break-in last month, said Zahi Hawass, the head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. / The police and army are following up on the disappearances with people in custody, Hawass said on his website. The missing objects include 11 wooden shabti statuettes from Yuya, a gilded wooden statue of Tutankhamun carried by a goddess and a statue of Nefertiti making offerings, according to Hawass.
As hundreds of Egyptian protesters filled Tahrir Square on Monday, many calling for their president to go into exile, one of the two state-owned television stations had its cameras focused elsewhere, capturing the steady flow of traffic on a Cairo bridge. … The channel announced that Zahi Hawass, the chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, had called on Egyptian citizens not to believe the 'lies and fabrications' of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya channels. Mr. Hawass was back on the air on Monday, when he was appointed to Mr. Mubarak's cabinet.
Demonstrations of Egyptian Archaeologists Call for Egypt's New Prime Minister to Persuade Zahi Hawass to Remain Minister for Antiquities.
"Verbatim and complete: I am very happy to be the Minister of Antiquities once again!
He may liken himself to Indiana Jones, but the minister of antiquities epitomised all that was wrong with Mubarak's Egypt.
World-renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass serves as minister of state for antiquities and director of excavations at Giza, Saqqara, and the Bahariya Oasis. / He is responsible for many recent discoveries, including the tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya. At Giza, he also uncovered the satellite pyramid of Khufu. In 2005, as part of the National Geographic Society-sponsored Egyptian Mummy Project to learn more about patterns of disease, health, and mortality in ancient Egypt, he led a team that CT scanned the mummy of King Tutankhamun. His team is continuing to CT scan mummies, both royal and private, and hopes to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the lives and deaths of such important figures as Hatshepsut and Nefertiti.
The Egyptian "boy king" Tutankhamun may well have died of malaria after the disease ravaged a body crippled by a rare bone disorder, experts say. / The findings could lay to rest conspiracy theories of murder. [Announcement of results only; no scientific journal referenced).
Abstract: The cause of death of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun has now for decades been matter of speculation and various hypotheses. A recent article in… JAMA... provided new evidence and suggested malaria, together with Köhler's disease, as the most probable cause of death of the boy king. We are sceptical towards this elucidation of the cause of death… and discuss alternative and differential diagnoses, among them, …sickle cell disease and Gauche's disease.
quote = "Abstract. Objective: To investigate the true character of the harem conspiracy described in the Judicial Papyrus of Turin and determine whether Ramesses III was indeed killed. / Design Anthropological, forensic, radiological, and genetic study of the mummies of Ramesses III and unknown man E, found together and taken from the 20th dynasty of ancient Egypt (circa 1190–1070 BC). / Results Computed tomography scans revealed a deep cut in Ramesses III's throat, probably made by a sharp knife. During the mummification process, a Horus eye amulet was inserted in the wound for healing purposes, and the neck was covered by a collar of thick linen layers. / Forensic examination of unknown man E showed compressed skin folds around his neck and a thoracic inflation. Unknown man E also had an unusual mummification procedure. According to genetic analyses, both mummies had identical haplotypes of the Y chromosome and a common male lineage. / Conclusions This study suggests that Ramesses III was murdered during the harem conspiracy by the cutting of his throat. Unknown man E is a possible candidate as Ramesses III's son Pentawere. … [Specifically] Genetic kinship analyses revealed identical haplotypes in both mummies… using the Whit Athey's haplogroup predictor, we determined the Y chromosomal haplogroup [to be] E1b1a.
The King Tut exhibition set to open on June 16 in Los Angeles, bringing the boy king's treasures to the United States for the first time in a quarter-century, is in just about every sense a reflection of Zahi Hawass, the man who made the show possible. / Dr. Hawass, who controls Egypt's vast archaeological trove as secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, is part Indiana Jones, part P.T. Barnum – intent on dusting off Egypt's holdings through a mix of entertainment, commerce and archaeology.
Until recently Zahi Hawass, Egypt's antiquities minister, was a global symbol of Egyptian national pride. A famous archaeologist in an Indiana Jones hat, he was virtually unassailable in the old Egypt, protected by his success in boosting tourism, his efforts to reclaim lost artifacts and his closeness to the country's first lady, Suzanne Mubarak. / But the revolution changed all that. / Now demonstrators in Cairo are calling for his resignation as the interim government faces disaffected crowds in Tahrir Square.
Zahi Hawass, Egypt's longtime chief antiquities official, has been criticized in recent months for many things: his closeness to former President Hosni Mubarak, some inconsistent reports on the safety of archaeological sites during the uprising and for his role in a dispute over an Egyptian museum bookstore, for which he now possibly faces jail time. / But the source of the latest controversy to beset Mr. Hawass resembles something straight from the mouth of J. Peterman, the character on 'Seinfeld' based on the clothing catalog retailer of the same name. / Mr. Hawass has lent his name to a men's wear brand: a line of rugged khakis, denim shirts and carefully worn leather jackets that are meant, according to the catalog copy, to hark 'back to Egypt's golden age of discovery in the early 20th century.'
It's amazing to think how the story of a boy king, who ruled for only about a decade thousands of years ago, still attracts the interest of millions of people, but that's exactly what's happened with Tutankhamun. / Known more fondly these days as King Tut, which may have something to do with a struggle to spell his full name, an exhibition of the wonders found with him in his final resting place is once again touring the world. / When the exhibit first went on tour in the 1970s, the exhibition set records for the numbers of people who passed through the doors at various venues around the world to see it. It was last in London at the British Museum in 1972 – the year I was born – so when I heard it would be returning to the city, I figured this could be our once in a lifetime opportunity to see it. / The exhibition is made up of 11 galleries… Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs is open at the O2 Dome in London from now until August 30, 2008. Its next stop will be in Dallas, Texas, where the exhibition will open on October 3, 2008.
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