Luxor's west bank was the site of a significant find, reports Nevine El-Aref.

In Al-Gurna where several excavation missions are probing for more Ancient Egyptian treasures under the sand, a team from the Polish Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology has stumbled on a major Coptic trove buried under the remains of a sixth-century monastery located in front of a Middle Kingdom tomb.

Excavators unearthed two papyri books with Coptic text along with a set of parchments placed between two wooden labels as well as Coptic ostraca, pottery fragments and textiles...

[More]   Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 730, 17 - 23 February 2005.

By Zahi Hawass

Egyptian Egyptologists have often complained about the previous director of the French Institute in Cairo (IFAO).   Ramadan Abdu frequently told us how his brother suffered under this man's leadership.   Our students were forbidden to use the IFAO library.   Yet no one can deny the scholarship and contributions of the French, from the days of Auguste Mariette and Gaston Maspero to today's great Egyptologists such as Jean Leclant, Alain Zivie, Jean- Claude Goyon, Jean Yoyotte, and many others.

We were all very happy to have a great French ambassador to Egypt -- Jean- Claude Cousseran, who is very sincere and loves the Egyptians.   I met him for the first time at the annual review of the French- Egyptian Karnak Expedition.   I was impressed by his personality, and glad to know that he wants to bring the relationship between our two countries to its highest peak.   The cultural attaché at the embassy, Denis Louch, is also very sincere and personable, and has done his best to help everyone and strengthen both cultural relations and the friendship between our two countries...

[More]   Al-Ahram, Egypt, Issue No. 730, 17 - 23 February 2005.