By : Hassan Saadallah
The 7000 year old Egyptian civilisation has proved a magnate for scholars
over the millennia. While foreign researchers were the first to become
infatuated
with this great civilisation, there have also been a number of renowned
Egyptian Egyptologists. Among these is Dr Zahi Hawass, the
Secretary-General
of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).
Hawass has always proved enthusiastic about anything and everything
related
to the ancient Egyptians. Since assuming office in 2002 he has carried
out
many projects to promote the archaeological sector at large. When
interviewed
by The Egyptian Gazette, Hawass talked about a variety of topics, some
of
which have sparked much controversy.
When speaking about the secrets of the Cheops Pyramid, he said that the
discoveries of the robot sent into the burial chamber a year and a half
ago prove that there are still many secrets the pyramid still withholds
from us. He remarked that the discovery of a second door in the southern
cavity and a third in the northern cavity, both having copper handles
identical to the first, was astounding.
It is amazing how the pyramid's architect was able to engrave curves
within
the pyramid, turning left and right over a distance of eight metres yet
no wider than 20cm, said Hawass. He explained that this snake-like
passage
was likely to have served either as a ventilation shaft, or that it
vindicates
the theory of allowing the soul of the dead king to move freely in and
out of the pyramid.
Hawass said that the experiment within the pyramid has by no means
finished,
with a second stage due to be launched in September. For this part of
the
project, a unique robot is currently being manufactured by a specialised
robotics centre in Singapore.
Commenting on the recent examination of the Tutankhamen mummy with a CT
scan -- an act which has provoked significant disagreement among
archaeologists
-- Dr Hawass said, 'There was a scientific necessity for the
examination
because the mummy had only been examined once, by a British team in 1986.
'
The CT scan has produced the first true picture of Tut's face. The
initial
results indicate that the boy king was not murdered, as had been
suggested
based on the theory that there is a cut behind his ear. The state-of-the-
art scan proved the absence of such a cut. However, Hawass said that the
full results of the scan would be officially published next month.
Asked about the SCA's current museum building policy, Dr Hawass said
that
l9 new museums are planned across the country, at a total cost of LEl00
million. He noted that the new Sharm El Sheikh museum, which will open
in
2006, will serve as a cultural centre, displaying the gilded mask of
King Tut.
The new Egyptian museum to be built on the Giza Fayyum road, in addition
to the national culture museum in Fustat, will prove to be important
assets
for the archaeological and tourist sectors at large. Hawass added that
the
SCA has devised an ambitious plan to run and update archaeological sites.
Asked whether submerged items are subject to the Antiquities Protection
Law,
Dr Hawass said that a modified version of 1983 Law No. 117 is being
drafted
in order to place sunken antiquities under the protection of the law. He
pointed out that several missions are currently excavating maritime
sites
as part of a project to register sunken treasures. He added that new
sites
such as Qosseir, Safaga and Ras Mohamed, are to be explored for the
first
time in search of submerged antiquities. Dr Hawass noted that in order
to
preserve any recovered items, an investigation is underway concerning
the
feasibility of an underwater museum.
Commenting on the SCA plan to retrieve stolen antiquities, Hawass said
that 2000 pieces have so far been recovered. The SCA is keen to follow
up
information on the internet about any Egyptian item and sites of
auctions.
The SCA has also released a catalogue of all known stolen Egyptian items
and has already distributed it to all world museums.
