"Remnants of hair, linen bandages and resin used in the mummification of the 19th Dynasty King Rameses II have been returned to Egypt after 30 years in France," Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni on Tuesday 10/04/2007 announced the return of the hair and other items at a press conference held at the Egyptian Museum, central Cairo.

He declared that the return of the items was a result of diplomatic efforts between Egypt and France which reflected the strong relationship between both countries.

It also reflects Egypt's strategy and devotion to the return of its heritage, which has been smuggled out of the country.

Farouk Hosni also highlighted the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA)'s efforts to track the selling of such objects on the internet until they are retuned to their homeland...

Rameses II's hair returned, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, April 11, 2007.

Pharaoh's hair on display again

Egypt's antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, said the internet was an important tool in tracking down stolen antiquities.

"We open the internet everyday, and the most important source you have are my spies," Hawass was quoted by AP as saying.

"I have spies all over the world, and those spies, they inform me every day of things you would not believe..."

Pharaoh's hair on display again, BBC News, UK, April 10, 2007. Includes video.

Previously:

Ancient pharaoh's hair returns to Egypt, April 10, 2007.

Egyptian archaeological returns from France with mummy's hair, April 02, 2007.

Egypt's team heads for France to retrieve mummy's hair, March 30, 2007.

France to return 'pharaoh's hair' to Egypt, February 26, 2007.

France Says 'Pharaoh's Hair' Scandal in Police's Hands, December 04, 2006.

Frenchman arrested for trying to sell lock of pharaoh's hair, November 29, 2006.

The powerful head of Egypt's antiquities department Tuesday ruled out any onsite tests to check the veracity of a new French theory about the building of the Great Pyramid.

"It makes sense, but not great sense," Zahi Hawass said. "Everybody can have a theory, you have 300 people and 99 percent of them are non-specialists, I cannot let them all go onto the site."

French architect Jean Pierre Houdin put forward a theory on the construction of the Great Pyramid in March, suggesting that it had been built using an internal spiral ramp, rather than an external ramp as had long been suggested...

Houdin proposed mounting a joint expedition of Egyptian antiquities experts and French engineers to examine the pyramid using non-invasive methods, such as infrared and radar.

"I cannot allow these people to check their theories unless they have a well-known institution backing them," said Hawass...

And the he goes on to say...

But he announced that teams from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Manchester are competing to develop camera-toting robots to explore a series of small shafts, blocked by doors leading off the Queen's chamber in the Great Pyramid.

A decision will be announced in three months, he said.

Egypt says no onsite tests for French pyramid theory, AFP via Middle East Times, Cyprus, April 11, 2007.

cf. Egypt rules out Pyramid tests, Sapa-AFP via The Sunday Times, South Africa, April 11, 2007.

cf. Egypt rules out Pyramid tests, AFP via The Gulf Times, Qatar, April 11, 2007.

Previously:

How to Build a Pyramid, April 09, 2007.

The inside [out] story, April 07, 2007.

Great Pyramid Built Inside Out, French Architect Says, April 03, 2007.

Ancient riddle of the Great Pyramid's construction is turned inside out, March 30, 2007.

Real-time 3D Helps to Finally Solve the Mystery of the Great Pyramid of Kheops!, March 30, 2007.