Dr Zahi Hawass is secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and one of the world's most prominent Egyptologists
It is no overstatement to say that Dr Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, is one of the world's most prominent and influential Egyptologists. He has unlocked many of the secrets of Egypt's history, most notably the death of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. He has also spearheaded the movement to return many important ancient Egyptian artefacts, including the Rosetta Stone and the bust of Nefertiti, from various other countries to Egypt. At the age of 61, he is still full of energy and working with his team to solve more mysteries. More importantly, he is following his dream by excavating the Valley of the Kings, on the West Bank of the Nile, to locate the tombs of many more monarchs of the New Kingdom (ca 1500 to 1100 BC). In the valley there are 63 known tombs, 26 of which belonged to pharaohs.
Recently in Cairo, Outlook met Hawass and asked him to tell us more about his life and his work.
What inspired you to become an Egyptologist? Can you describe your passion for Egyptology and archaeology?
I will tell you how Egyptology came to be my life's passion. As a child, I was an excellent student, so much so that I was able to begin college at the age of 15-and-a-half. I actually began my studies in the faculty of law at Alexandria University. I had been to visit the pyramids before, and although I was deeply impressed by the experience, it had not occurred to me to become an archaeologist. Once I began my university studies, though, I realised that law was not for me. I was terribly bored, and I knew that I had to find something that would capture my mind and my heart. I transferred to the faculty of archaeology, and quickly realised that this was what I was meant to do. I was 16 when I began to study Egyptology, and I graduated with my first degree at the age of 19. Since then, I have not looked back even once.
For me, archaeology is not a job. It is a hobby that combines everything that I could want _ imagination, intellect, action and adventure.
What are some of the most interesting mysteries that you have helped solve?
I have discovered the answers to many of the mysteries of Egypt's past. I did find the tombs of the workmen who built the pyramids of Giza, shedding light on how these amazing monuments were constructed. I lead the team that learned through a CT scan that Tutankhamun was not murdered, but probably died as the result of an accident that left him with a broken leg. I was also responsible for the identification of the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut. Right now, the most important mystery that we are working to solve is the reason for the existence of the three doors in the shafts inside the Great Pyramid at Giza. I am not 100 per cent sure, but I believe that these doors could be hiding the burial of King Khufu. The most important thing for a king like this would have been to hide his body and burial goods away from robbers, and I think that they could still be somewhere inside the tomb. A second mystery is the location of the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. We have no descriptions by ancient travellers of Cleopatra's tomb, although many of them did mention other famous tombs like that of Alexander the Great. We are searching now at the site of Taposiris Magna, near Alexandria, in the hope of discovering where Cleopatra and Antony were buried. A third mystery is the location of the tombs of many of the kings of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties, including Amenhotep I, Thutmose II and Ramesses VIII, who should be buried in the Valley of the Kings, but whose tombs have never been found. We are excavating in the valley now, searching for these tombs.
What do you consider the greatest discovery in your life?
I cannot name only one. I must mention two: The tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies. The tombs of the pyramid builders have helped us to reconstruct history, telling us about the lives of the workmen, and also that the pyramids were great national projects, and were not built by slaves but by free workmen who had the honour of being buried in the shadow of the tombs of their kings. This discovery is particularly significant to me, because before it was made, I wrote in my doctoral dissertation that the tombs of the pyramid builders should be in this location. My good friend and colleague Mark Lehner believed that this site should be where the royal palace was located, but I knew from the fact that there was a limestone wall separating it from the area of the royal tombs that this should be where the workmen were buried. I was very happy when excavations proved that my theory was correct. The Valley of the Golden Mummies is important because it is a fascinating and mysterious place, filled with bodies whose wrappings were beautifully gilded. This discovery was important to me not only for its historical significance, but also because it is the one that first put me in the international spotlight, which really changed my life.
How are your attempts to reveal the secrets of the Valley of the Kings progressing? What is your goal for this project?
We started excavating last November at two locations in the Valley of the Kings. The first is inside the tomb of Seti I, where we are clearing and shoring up a tunnel that extends downwards from the burial chamber. It was always said that this tunnel was 100 metres long, although no one has ever reached the end. We have already cleared more than 130 metres, and we are finding small artefacts, including shabtis [funerary statuettes] and pieces of pottery that indicate that there may be something important beyond this tunnel. The other location is in the area around the tomb of Merenptah, where we have found evidence of two previously unknown tombs. We have reason to believe that next winter we could open these two tombs, which would be known as KV64 and KV65.
Have you ever felt discouraged in the course of your job?
Of course there have been times when I have felt discouraged. Although this job is fascinating, people are always eager to attack you and make claims against you when you are in a position like mine. I have always been known as a fighter, and I do fight back against these devils. They are always thinking of ways to cause problems, because they are jealous and hate success. We all face people like this in our lives, and we should always fight against them.
What are the major obstacles and challenges in your life and your job, and how do you deal with them?
The main challenge that I have faced in my life was becoming a truly excellent Egyptologist. Ever since I discovered my passion for this work, I have had it in my mind to be the best in the field. You have to really know Egyptology and study hard to excel. For me the first step toward this goal was taking a Fulbright scholarship to study in the US. This was important, because at that time there was no one here in Egypt who could really compete alongside our foreign colleagues. At the age of 33, I was awarded this scholarship and went to the University of Pennsylvania for my PhD. I spent seven hard years of my life working like a kid, from nine in the morning until midnight.
In your opinion, what are the necessary qualities of a good Egyptologist?
To be a good Egyptologist, you have to do more than just study. You have to be honest, smart and understand how to communicate with people. It is important to be able to do more than write articles that only you and your colleagues can understand. You should be able at the same time to reach out to the public and to work with other people. A great Egyptologist needs charisma. The public needs to understand what we are doing so they can support us, and so that they can stop talking about aliens and lost civilisations and understand the fascination and importance of real history and archaeology. There are very few people in the world who can both produce good scholarship and work well with the public, although both are vitally important.
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