Egypt’s most prominent archaeologist, Zahi Hawass, called yesterday on the descendants of the British aristocrat who found Tutankhamun’s tomb to return the remnants of his collection to Cairo.
Dr Hawass insisted that many of the objects displayed by Lord and Lady Carnarvon at Highclere Castle, in Berkshire, belong in Egypt.
Speaking opposite Lady Carnarvon on the Today programme on Radio 4 yesterday morning he said that the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, the current Earl’s great-grandfather, was only “really interested in making money and taking artefacts”.
Lady Carnarvon said that the collection included “small items which are of interest mainly for the story behind them” and invited Dr Hawass to see the collection. She said that it would be staying in England, where it could continue to inspire schoolchildren and visitors.
She added that the Earl had sold his estate to fund the excavations and emphasised his passionate interest in Egyptian tradition.
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Just amazing that people can be so brazen and unrepenting about theft. Europeans most likely see themselves as the world's nobility: noblesse oblige!
They can go to other places and simply take things--and people too--and never return them to where they belong.
The standard reply is: "we can take better care of your property than you", and "your people are better off with us since we have civilised them and even given them proper sounding names". Un-be-liev-able!
Posts: 5492 | Registered: Nov 2004
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^ Indeed! I'm sure Europeans would not be at all happy about non-Europeans either Asians, and especially Africans taking priceless artifacts from them and then claim to take good care of it for educational and scholarly purposes.
"Dr. Zahi Hawass calls on descendants of Lord Carnarvon to return King Tut artifacts"...
Or else my people will perpetuate the curse brought upon your ancestor! LOLPosts: 26349 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Imagine the international crisis if some "Third Worlder" absconded with the Queen's Mace or someone making off to Africa with the original U.S. Constitution--then claiming "finders keepers"!
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quote:"we can take better care of your property than you", and "your people are better off with us since we have civilised them and even given them proper sounding names".
like Earl Hunsucker, Martha Stewart, and..."Becky"
Posts: 229 | From: Atlanta | Registered: Jul 2007
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Dr Hawass is only making these statements for publicity purposes.
Also it is well known that his office is one of the most corrupt in Egypt-every egyptologist,persons that needs to do films,take photo sessions of AE, etc..must given him his percentage of kickbacks..I heard that his standard "fee" is $1,000 +
Hawass is already a millionnaire just with the numerous bribes he has been receivnig over these past years..
But I guess if they were mostly in US dollars methinks he is a bit unhappy due to the current sinking value of the once US almighty buck !
Realistically-even under the Ottoman Empire AE wartefacts where just a nuisance at best when the authorities did not try to destroy them all in the name of Allah is Great !
If it were not $$$ that the present day government gets from the gullible tourists that come to Egypt to get "pyramid energy" or the New Agers that eager to find out from which Pharaon/Princess they are the reincarnation of them artefacts would have gone the way fo the infamous DODO BIRD..
To those complaining about the "European thieves" *-you will be mightly glad that the Brits + others were able to preserve/get soem of these artefacts especially if civil strife breaks out in Egypt and an integrist government take sover..
*It does not mean I APPROVE of what the Europeans did but is there a viable solution at hand ?
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