posted 24 November 2004 02:51 PM            

Amateur archaeologists curse pharoahs' guardian

23.11.2004
By ALEX DUVAL SMITH in Paris

Dr Zahi Hawass is one of the most powerful men in history - at least
of archaeology - and he is angry.

The 57-year-old is secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of
Antiquities but, as any Egyptologist will tell you, this is the
least of his titles.

The self-styled guardian of the pharaohs, commonly referred to as
the "Big Zee", is the minder of 4000 years of history, 500 kings,
scores of legends, thousands of tourists and hundreds of competing
archaeologists.

Yet the theatrical, outspoken and Stetson-wearing Egyptian with a
string of academic credits to his name and the power to dictate what
the world is told about Ancient Egypt is being challenged
relentlessly by two plucky French amateurs.

Retired estate agent Jean-Yves Verd'hurt and architect Gilles
Dormion have for two years been applying for permission to poke a
15mm lens through a floor of the Great Pyramid at Giza.

They believe they will find the burial chamber of Cheops (Khufu),
the pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty who built the seventh wonder of
the world, the 150m-high Great Pyramid.

The Frenchmen's challenge to the Big Zee's authority has ruined the
image of Egyptology as the gentlemanly pursuit of studied
introverts.

What has emerged since the Frenchmen went public in September with
their accusations is a backstabbing world of academic ambition,
national pride, tourism dollars and television ratings.

"Dr Hawass treats Egypt as his private hunting ground," says
Verd'hurt.

"They are speculators, amateurs!" comes the retort from Hawass.

"If we are useless amateurs," says Verd'hurt, "then surely the best
way to show us up would be to grant us permission and see us fail."

The two Frenchmen - who for 15 years have spent all their savings
and holiday time on digs in Egypt - were at the podium at the
revered Ninth International Congress of Egyptologists in Grenoble,
France, in September. Before the congress they outlined their
research, based on architectural measurements of the pyramid,
described in a book, La Chambre de Cheops.

The book suggests that Cheops and his architect spent 20 years
building the Great Pyramid and faced a series of structural
problems. Eventually they positioned the king's funeral chamber in
an as-yet undiscovered part of the structure, beneath the so-called
Queen's Chamber.

The Frenchmen say a radar scan of the floor of the Queen's Chamber
has revealed a 1m-wide cavity that they believe is a corridor
leading to Cheop's own resting place. To prove their claim,
Verd'hurt and Dormion say, they would have to make only a tiny
incision in the floor of the Queen's Chamber, into which they would
feed a 15mm camera lens that would emerge in the cavity.

They used the technique in 2000 at Meidoom Pyramid, where they are
credited with discovering a corridor and two chambers.

But at a rowdy press conference in Grenoble during the
Egyptologists' congress, Hawass dismissed the findings and said he
had hundreds of applications similar to the French pair's to deal
with.

"Applications have to come from an institution and they have to be
convincing. We Egyptians have to keep our dignity.

"I am the guardian of the pyramids. Egyptian blood was spilled in
the building of the pyramids. I cannot allow amateurs to tamper with
the blood of Egyptians."

Later, at his presentation at the congress, Hawass announced that he
intended to take a National Geographic team with a "pyramid rover" -
a camera-mounted robot - into the Great Pyramid next year.

Observers have detected a sense that Hawass is tired of being
bullied by foreign archaeologists and perhaps, in particular, the
French.

It was Frenchman, Jean-Francois Champollion, who in 1822 deciphered
the writing on the Rosetta Stone, found by his countryman Pierre-
Francois Bouchard in 1799.

France has considered itself to have a leading role in Egyptology
ever since.

Today, Egyptology is a worldwide science and almost 300 digs are
under way by archaeologists from 12 countries.

They range from the hot spots of Thebes and Giza to Deir-el-Medina,
where French archaeologists believe they have found an artisans'
commune that, under Rameses III, staged the first strike for better
working conditions.

"There is so much here that there is room for everyone," said Jean-
Pierre Corteggiani of the French Institute for Oriental Studies, one
of the academics supporting Dormion and Verd'hurt.

The French amateur team say Hawass' hostility towards them is
principally motivated by his links to National Geographic, which has
paid for several of his digs and to which they believe he may have
offered filming rights to high-profile digs.

Television has changed the face of Egyptology through its funding of
digs and ability to raise the profile of individual scientists.

TV films mean TV ratings. No longer are we satisfied with gasping at
the fabulous gold mask of Tutankhamen or the sublime beauty of
Nefertiti.

Television producers touting their documentaries know that digging
up warts-and-all tid-bits gets them noticed and can even earn them
the odd plug in a newspaper.

During the 20th century, Akhenaton went from being heralded as the
inventor of monotheism - because only one god, Aton, was worshipped
during his reign - to being trashed as a mentally retarded, impotent
and blind homosexual.

Much colourful speculation surrounds Rameses II - said to have
fathered 100 children, reigned for 66 years, died at the age of 90
and have had red hair.

Acres have been written about Nefertiti; endless speculation
surrounds the apparent fairness of her skin. There is the view that
she murdered her rival, Kya.

Others say that Kya, not Nefertiti, was the mother of Tutankhamen -
a suggestion that could be verified by DNA, if only the Egyptian
authorities would allow it.

For the time being, we will have to be content with a CAT scan of
Tutankhamen's head. Hawass announced last week that this would be
done by an Egyptian team in hope of establishing whether the king
was bludgeoned to death 3000 years ago or whether British
archaeologist Howard Carter inadvertently chipped the skull while
uncovering his remains in 1922.

One of the dreams of Egyptologists is to find Nefertiti's mummified
remains.

Last year the Discovery Channel said Joanne Fletcher, a
mummification expert from the University of York, had located
Nefertiti among three female mummies found in 1898 by Victor Loret
in Amenhotep II's tomb.

Hawass has rejected Fletcher's research as "pure fiction" and the
work of "a new PhD recipient".

Rivals suggest she rushed into the claim because Discovery Channel
wanted a selling-point for its film.

Amid all the speculation and ratings wars, Jean Leclant, a
hieroglyphics expert who has spent 37 years trying to read the
writing on Egyptian burial chambers, said: "We are all looking for
the pieces of a puzzle which remains a gigantic enigma.

"But you have to tackle Egypt with kid gloves. Too many people
cannot see the line between romantic adventure and scientific
research."

On his personal website, Hawass - once a Fulbright Scholar who
obtained his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania - suggests he
wants to give back Egyptology to Egyptians.

Two years ago, almost as soon as he was appointed, Hawass introduced
restrictions on foreign teams, including a ban on all new excavation
projects from Giza to Abu Simbel.

Verd'hurt said he hoped the French Government would step in so they
could proceed with their plan.

But that's the last thing other French scientists want. Jean
Yoyotte, of the College de France, said: "I am afraid this sort of
pressure will have a negative impact on other applications for digs
from French teams."

posted 24 November 2004 08:57 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by ausar:

Amateur archaeologists curse pharoahs' guardian

23.11.2004
By ALEX DUVAL SMITH in Paris

The self-styled guardian of the pharaohs, commonly referred to as
the "Big Zee", is the minder of 4000 years of history, 500 kings,scores of legends, thousands of tourists and hundreds of competing archaeologists.

The Frenchmen's challenge to the Big Zee's authority

"Dr Hawass treats Egypt as his private hunting ground," says Verd'hurt.

"I am the guardian of the pyramids. Egyptian blood was spilled in
the building of the pyramids. I cannot allow amateurs to tamper with
the blood of Egyptians."

"...if only the Egyptian
authorities would allow it..."
On his personal website, Hawass - once a Fulbright Scholar who
obtained his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania - suggests he
wants to give back Egyptology to Egyptians.

- INDEPENDENT [/B]

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You know, reading this article/post about Hawass made me think of some things that I have had in the back of my mind for some time now. Namely…….

1.) I think that Hawass has to much power when it comes to control and dictating the
work/research that is done in ancient Egypt (AE) (ruins).

2.) It does not seem as if he is supportive of work that supports a Negroid (black)
ancient Egypt.

Now, forgive my ignorance friend, because I truly do not know his stance on this. However, the reason for my doubt is because whenever I see programs that he seems to be a part of, whether they be on the TLC, DSC, The History Channel, etc, the programs tend to portray a middle eastern-arabadized Egypt. I mean, whenever they show reenactments of the ancient people of KMT, they seem to be brown skin arab types, but not black Africans.

I could be way off base here, but since Hawass does have so much power and influence over what is done in ancient Egypt (ruins), one could assume that he is not against this portraya (none black portrayal).

I for one am always disappointment at the reenactments and portrayals that show tawny to light brown skin AE walking about the dessert with no shirts (tops) (especially the portrayal of the priest—as if the smarter/more important AEs have to be lighter skin). I mean light skin people would surely burn in the sun of the dessert w/o coverings…

Last but not least, why do they now seem to say that the Nubians were black Africans, but do not say what race the AEs are associated with?! At the same time, they’ll show Arab (light skin, middle eastern types) looking ones in the same program suggesting that the AEs were anything but black.

Again, it seems as if Hawass is always associated with those type of programs..

What do you (and any others who are in the know) think about Hawass’ stance on the blackness of the AEs, and the portrayal of such?? Any factual answers on this (if it exist) would be deeply appreciated.

posted 25 November 2004 07:36 AM            

NOVA: Do most Egyptians today feel an ancestral link to the ancient Egyptians?

Hawass: Of course, because we are the descendants of the pharaohs. If you look at the faces of the people of Upper Egypt, the relationship between modern and ancient Egypt is very clear. Habits in the villages, our celebrations when we finish a project, are similar to what they had in ancient Egypt. After someone dies, we make a celebration after 40 days, just like the ancient Egyptians did during the mummification process. Everything in our lives is like ancient Egypt.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/excavation/hawass.html

I have a few questions that maybe you can answer:

1. Aren't most Africans brown skinned instead of ''black skinned'' What about the Khoisan who have yellowish skin coloring?

2. What is the Arab look? Does an Arab have just one phenotype?

3. Do you consider Somalis,Ethiopians,Fulanis, and Tuaregs black Africans?

4. Why should Hawass' opinions matter since he is not a physical or biological anthropologist?

posted 25 November 2004 10:38 AM            

quote:

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Aren't most Africans brown skinned instead of ''black skinned'' What about the Khoisan who have yellowish skin coloring?

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quote:

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What is the Arab look? Does an Arab have just one phenotype?

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Hawass often seems to me to be selling AE to vainglorious Europe and actually seems to view the "Africanisation" of AE as a threat.
But maybe I have him wrong here?

quote:

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Why should Hawass' opinions matter since he is not a physical or biological anthropologist?

---

I personally have no problem with that, but once he speaks, we have no choice but to examine the quality of his comments, and if they are found lacking, then I think it's fair to critique them on that basis.

I personally don't like to rag on Hawass because I feel its tempting to make him a scapegoat for a larger problem. Again, he is a least Egyptian, and that's a start. It's frightening to think that such has been the hegemony of Eurocentricism that Egyptians hardly get a 'word in edgewise' regarding their own history! I am sure you can relate to this Ausar! But remember, that is just another way in which Egypt is in the same boat with the rest of Africa.

posted 25 November 2004 11:29 AM            

The solution is to portray them as having skin pigmenatation, hair forms, and craniofacial structures as one sees on the generic AE wall depictions--of the ordinary AE. The colours are invariably dark brown for the ordinary people--with shaven heads showing an Africanoid base, facial angles less than 90 degrees, non-pronounced chins below pronounced East African type labial indices, gracile physiques as one sees also in East Africa. In fact the sculptures of the daughters of Iknaton seem quite realistic. So that's what National Geographic and others should go on.

posted 25 November 2004 11:43 AM            

They still use white actors to play native American Indians in American movies after all.

quote:

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I am always leery of population percentages of "whites" and "coloureds" in Africa. Hence the claim that 6% of Namibia is white provokes my skepticism. I want to believe it's no more than 2% even though they have confiscated more than 70% of the best land.

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posted 25 November 2004 11:44 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by lamin:
Re living portrayals of AE's:

The solution is to portray them as having skin pigmenatation, hair forms, and craniofacial structures as one sees on the generic AE wall depictions--of the ordinary AE. The colours are invariably dark brown for the ordinary people--with shaven heads showing an Africanoid base, facial angles less than 90 degrees, non-pronounced chins below pronounced East African type labial indices, gracile physiques as one sees also in East Africa. In fact the sculptures of the daughters of Iknaton seem quite realistic. So that's what National Geographic and others should go on.

I am always leery of population percentages of "whites" and "coloureds" in Africa. Hence the claim that 6% of Namibia is white provokes my skepticism. I want to believe it's no more than 2% even though they have confiscated more than 70% of the best land. I also have my doubts about the so-called "coloured" population. The question is coloured what in what colour? Or are they multicoloured?

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To me its obvious that the so called "white" features of some AE are just the phenotype that is MORE common in east africa. Europeans are not the mold so to speak for any features yet we disreguard our knowledge of history and human evolution and purposely ignore the human anthropological evidence that these features can be found in African peoples sans admixture. Add to these features the scientific determinations of african bone structure, hair texture and skin pigmentation and these people just represent the various variations of the african people. If one wants to call AE non-black or no race people, then by that means western blacks, and many west and east africans miraculously non-black and belong to a mysterious no race category. Hopefully one day very soon the world will stop playing along with this selective amnesia when it comes to the histoy of african peoples.

------------------
Time Will Tell!- Bob Marley

posted 25 November 2004 12:48 PM            

4. Why should Hawass' opinions matter since he is not a physical or biological anthropologist?

ANSWER:

posted 25 November 2004 01:12 PM            

quote:

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Ok, I'll play along....

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Just give me your honest observation like you have always done.

quote:

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Sure, and in the SADC, there are generally the following race-groups; black; asian; white; mixed. For example Namibia is considered to be 88% Black, 6% white and 6% mixed. The "Bushmen" make up 3% of the 88% Black population. As a matter of politics the San generally do not want to be placed in racial catagory separated from other Black Africans, but rather regarded as a ethnic group within the family of Black Africans. This is just common sense

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I agree with this. My point was that terms like ''black'' are just as much an artifical construct as terms like white. Most Northern Europeans tend to be pink but not literally white. People in Western Africa might consider ''black'' people as African Americans to be red skinned because they are lighter than themselves. These categorization are generally folk taxtonomy that can be specific to cultural idenity.

For instance from Ann Mary Roth's comments about modern Egyptians it would appear she is mainly talking about the more affluent class instead of the balady class of Egyptians. Lower class Egyptians have no reservations when asked about their skin color,but more Europeanized Egyptians might say they are lighter than they really are to fit in European soceity.

The reason for this has much to do with colonization and Arab hegemony. Read the Arabic writings and you will see within their culture African people were often looked down upon. Arabs also looked down upon Fellahin and other Egyptians.

Understanding racial politics within Egypt is as complex as in Brazil. It appears none exist but it does exist more submerged and is not as visable as in American soceity.

The dirty little secret of Egypt is that Egyptian women often have skin bleaching creams to lighten up their apperance. When you go into Cairo you notice movie posters of women that are usually Lebanese,Syrian, and sometimes lighter Egyptian women. very rarely do you see Sa3eadi or Nubian people unless it's in a comedic role. If you ever travel to Egypt yourself my suggestion is to go into the back alleys or slums in Cairo.

The image of people living in inner African countries like Central Africa is negative because of images in popular media. Egyptians are gulity of targeting inner African people and taunting them. Yes, even the Nubians look down upon Central Africans I am afraid to say.

quote:

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I guess this question is about Hawass. It seems to me the only thing that matters is what he considers himself to be. Personally I am happy to see an Egyptian with some power or responsibilty for 'his heritage.' My criticisms of Hawass have nothing to do with his phenotype, but rather with his actions.
Example:
In Southern Africa Mangosuthu Buthelezi is a Zulu prince of the highest pedigree. But he was also a traitor to Africa and its peoples. By contrast there were many 'colourd' and even some white South Africans who were willing to give their lives in the fight for African people and against apartheid. As always - you can't simply look at people an determine what's in their heart.
Hawass often seems to me to be selling AE to vainglorious Europe and actually seems to view the "Africanisation" of AE as a threat.
But maybe I have him wrong here?

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Very relavent and nice point. See my above comments to understand more about the modern Egyptian pscyhe. I don't necessariy like Hawass because of his attitude. He is very loud about various subjects and some have no relevance to Egyptology. Hawass has also been accused of making anti-Semetic remarks and being biased towards people.

I guess you could say in Hawass understanding he is gulity of falling for the Hamitic myth where European anthropologist believe that bantus were the only true African phenotype and the rest were either hybrids or some lost white race.

You see also that in Egypt we have many issues that are products of modern notions. Such as Pan-Arabism, the Coptic question,and even the Egyptian idenity. Each one of these groups have their agenda rightly or wrongly. These issues further complicate the issues already arisen from post modern colonization which brought racism and concepts of scientific racism to the center.

If Hawass only knew that early Egyptologist like Sir Elliot Grafton Smith saw modern Egyptians as essentially mongrels then he might have a different opinion. You can read for yourself that early Egyptologist did not hold back their racist comments about modern Egyptians being inferior people. Read this from Denon,Smith,Resiner,Maspero, and Breasted. Infact, people at Stormfront get most of their wild theories about blonde Egyptians from these people.

One of the most famous sellout in Egypt is Butros Butros Ghali who was apppointed by the British,and killed many Sa3eadi and rural Fellahin Egyptians. You might know his grandson Butros Butros Ghali former head of the United Nations.

The Christian population in Egypt sold out the indigenous Egyptians to Romans. You can blame them for much of the destruction of ancent Egyptian culture and soceity. Funny thing is know they want to claim they are the last missing link to ancient Egypt!

quote:

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Then why is he being asked questions related to the anthropological history/identity of AE? He is in fact quoted as an authority and speaks freely enough as one.
I personally have no problem with that, but once he speaks, we have no choice but to examine the quality of his comments, and if they are found lacking, then I think it's fair to critique them on that basis.
I personally don't like to rag on Hawass because I feel its tempting to make him a scapegoat for a larger problem. Again, he is a least Egyptian, and that's a start. It's frightening to think that such has been the hegemony of Eurocentricism that Egyptians hardly get a 'word in edgewise' regarding their own history! I am sure you can relate to this Ausar! But remember, that is just another way in which Egypt is in the same boat with the rest of Africa.

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Definatley Egyptians are in the same boat as in other Africans. After all the British stole the Benin bronzes from Nigeria only to claim they were the work of some foregin race of people. This is why I have studied the history of other African people. The Eurocentrics have even tried to use Egypt as a diffusionist tool.

I understand the crtique of Hawass but I feel some people put too much emphasis upon him. He should not be quoted as an authority of physical or biological anthropology. The media is guility of this and of promoting scientific illiteracy. Hawass has a PHD in Egyptology and MS in geology. Both are soft sciences which rely upon other disciplines.

On another note Fekri Hassan has acknowleadged the Africaness of ancient Egyptian culture and people. He is an Egyptian scholar I believe who differs greatly from Hawass. He holds degrees in cultural anthropology and geology.

posted 25 November 2004 03:40 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by ausar:
I guess you could say in Hawass understanding he is gulity of falling for the Hamitic myth where European anthropologist believe that bantus were the only true African phenotype and the rest were either hybrids or some lost white race.
[This message has been edited by ausar (edited 25 November 2004).]

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Thought Writes:

This is what is so exciting and revolutionary about the genetic evidence from the Y-Chromosome PN2 Transition. It demonstrates that diverse male populations such as Congolese (Mobutu) and Amazigh (St. Augustine) all have a recent common ancestory that post dates the dispersal of the African lineage that produced all non-African lineages from Africa.

posted 28 November 2004 02:16 AM            

I have a few questions that maybe you can answer:

1. Aren't most Africans brown skinned instead of ''black skinned'' What about the Khoisan who have yellowish skin coloring?

2. What is the Arab look? Does an Arab have just one phenotype?

3. Do you consider Somalis,Ethiopians,Fulanis, and Tuaregs black Africans?

4. Why should Hawass' opinions matter since he is not a physical or biological anthropologist?

1.> Yes, I would agree with you sir, no agreement there.

2.> As mentioned in other boards (topics) Arabs are a mixture of Africans and Asiatics. I realize that there are dark skin, woolly haired, Arabs but does Hawass seems himself as one of them? I agree that Arabs do look down upon what is considered black Africa.

3.> ABSOLUTELY, and most certainly.

4.>Well, because as stated in your post...he is arguably one of the most powerfully men in the world when it comes to controlling what happens in A.Egypt, which is fine!! But, I think it sucks that he caters towards a Eurocentric point of view when it comes to the portrayal of A.Egyptians. But, if you think that this is beyond his control, then this is truly tragic, because that would make him a puppy figure placed on the frontline to take the shots.