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After hearing the news that he was trying to woo some of the young archeologists by making commitments to changing things, I was sure he was staying at least a little while longer. But now the news has come out that he is in fact stepping down which is huge and will have a major impact on Egyptian Antiquities! I honestly wonder whether some of the more graphic rumors about him are true now and he knew he couldn't stand up to scrutiny...especially with his close ties to the Mubarack regime.
After Egypt’s prime minister resigned on Thursday and the army asked his replacement to form a caretaker cabinet, Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s powerful and controversial antiquities chief, said he would not be part of the new government. His comments came after he posted on his Web site for the first time a list of dozens of sites that have been looted since the beginning of the uprising that led to the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.
Reached by telephone Mr. Hawass, a member of the previous cabinet, said he was happy that he had made the “right decision” and lashed out at colleagues who have criticized him, including one who has accused him of smuggling antiquities.
Among the places Mr. Hawass named as having been looted were the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s storerooms at its excavation site in Dahshur, south of Cairo. In a statement the Met’s director, Thomas P. Campbell, described that incident as having taken place several weeks ago.
Mr. Campbell expressed alarm about continuing looting, calling it “a grave and tragic emergency.” In a statement, which was issued before Mr. Hawass’s resignation was confirmed, he said:
“The world cannot sit by and permit unchecked anarchy to jeopardize the cultural heritage of one of the world’s oldest, greatest and most inspiring civilizations. We echo the voices of all concerned citizens of the globe in imploring Egypt’s new government authorities, in building the nation’s future, to protect its precious past. Action needs to be taken immediately.”
Here is a list of the sites from Hawass' website that he says have been vandalized and looted...
Many storage magazines have suffered break-ins; sites from all over Egypt have suffered at the hands of criminals.
· At Qantara East, in the Sinai, looters broke into the magazine and stole several boxes of objects. Fortunately, to date 292 items have been returned.
· Criminals attacked Saqqara several times about ten days ago. The padlocks of many tombs were opened.
· The magazine of Metropolitan Museum of Art’s expedition in Dahshur, known as De Morgan, was attacked twice; looters were able to overpower and tie up the guards.
· In Abusir, looters broke into the magazine of a Czech expedition.
· In Giza, on March 1,2011, criminals broke into the Selim Hassan magazine. These looters were carrying guns and the unarmed site guards quickly surrendered for fear of their lives.
· Magazines in Tell el-Basta and Wadi el-Feiran, near Sharm el-Sheikh, were also subject to breaking and entering.
Site inspectors at each of these locations are still carefully checking the magazine inventories against their databases to assess the full extent of the damage. I am waiting for the inspectors to finish their work and file their final reports with me.
Pharaonic Sites
· The tomb of Ken-Amun in Tell el-Maskhuta, near Ismailia, was completely destroyed. It is the only known 19thDynasty tomb in Lower Egypt.
· At Giza, near the Great Sphinx, the looters broke into the tomb of Impy. Vandals also attempted to destroy other buildings and tombs in Giza, but they were unsuccessful.
· In Saqqara, inscribed blocks and parts of the false door were stolen from the tomb of Hetepka.
· Inscribed blocks were also taken from the tomb of Ptahshepses in Abusir.
· The guards of sites in Nekhen, north of Edfu, caught several thieves.
· In Aswan, looters attempted to steal a statue of Ramesses II, but archaeologists and guards at the site apprehended them.
· A site in Northern Sinai was destroyed when looters arrived with a loader.
· Looters have attacked Abydos nearly every night; illegal excavations and trenches, some as deep as five meters, have damaged the site.
· Reports of illegal construction have been reported near the pyramid of Merenre and the Mastaba Fara’un, near Saqqara.
Many sites, including Alexandria, Ismailia, Saqqara, Behaira, Sharqia, Abusir and Dahshur, have reported illegal excavations, some of which have taken place at night. ----------------------
What Hawass doesn't mention is the vandalism at Nabta Playa which happened on his watch before the Egyptian Revolution even occured!! The world's oldest astronomical site has been completely destroyed! Now, onto the question of who will be his replacement? Hopefully not another defender of the BS North African Caucasian mess...
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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The disease that is Hawass may not be overcome, unless there was a radical change in the layer that makes up Egypt's ruling class. Zahi was symptomatic of the layer that made up Egypt's wealthy and ruling class; he was catering to this base, and his public comments about the identity of ancient Egyptians was just one expression of this. It is no accident that with the shake up of elements of the ruling layer in recent times, that he too would be called on to resign his post.
-------------------- The Complete Picture of the Past tells Us what Not to Repeat Posts: 7516 | From: Somewhere on Earth | Registered: Jan 2008
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^ Agreed. It seems many here like to put the blame solely on Hawass but forget that Hawass is just ONE of many that is part of the problem. Hawass was nothing more than a front man for the the Afrangi elite that controlled the country. He was the Afrangi elite that happened to be put in charge of the antiquities as well as cater to the West and its Euronuts.
quote:Originally posted by King_Scorpion: What Hawass doesn't mention is the vandalism at Nabta Playa which happened on his watch before the Egyptian Revolution even occured!! The world's oldest astronomical site has been completely destroyed! Now, onto the question of who will be his replacement? Hopefully not another defender of the BS North African Caucasian mess...
Wait! Is this the first I've heard of this??! First of all I find it hard to believe people would even mess with what seems to most folks as simply piles of rocks, unless there is some ulterior motive! And again, where is the new reports on this??! Nabta Playa is like a heritage site! This is like when idiots vandalized some of the rock paintings in Tasili N Ager! How were these sh|theads able to get away with this?!
Posts: 26286 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Djehuti: ^ Agreed. It seems many here like to put the blame solely on Hawass but forget that Hawass is just ONE of many that is part of the problem. Hawass was nothing more than a front man for the the Afrangi elite that controlled the country. He was the Afrangi elite that happened to be put in charge of the antiquities as well as cater to the West and its Euronuts.
quote:Originally posted by King_Scorpion: What Hawass doesn't mention is the vandalism at Nabta Playa which happened on his watch before the Egyptian Revolution even occured!! The world's oldest astronomical site has been completely destroyed! Now, onto the question of who will be his replacement? Hopefully not another defender of the BS North African Caucasian mess...
Wait! Is this the first I've heard of this??! First of all I find it hard to believe people would even mess with what seems to most folks as simply piles of rocks, unless there is some ulterior motive! And again, where is the new reports on this??! Nabta Playa is like a heritage site! This is like when idiots vandalized some of the rock paintings in Tasili N Ager! How were these sh|theads able to get away with this?!
Well to be fair it seems like vandalism has always been a problem in Ancient Egypt. I wonder more why Egyptian Antiquities didn't even bother to mark the place or acknowledge its existence!
Nabta Playa before and after...
You posted the last comment in the thread I made about this Djehuti, but that was back in 2009. And who are the Afrangi?
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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تعرض مخزن ''تل الفراعين'' الأثرى بمحافظة كفر الشيخ فجر ''السبت'' لهجوم من أكثر من 40 مسلحًا حاول أفراد الحراسة صدهم، إلا أنهم قاموا بإطلاق النار على الحراس،مما أدى إلى اصابة عدد من الحراس باصابات بالغة.
وتلقى وزير الدولة لشئون الآثار فى حكومة تسيير الأعمال الدكتور زاهى حواس تقريرًا بتعرض مخزن آثار ''تل الفراعين'' بكفر الشيح للهجوم من قبل مسلحين فى محاولة للسرقة والنهب، وهي المرة الثانية التى يتعرض لها هذا المخزن للسرقة منذ 25 يناير الماضى، استغلالا لحالة غياب التأمين عن كافة المخازن والمناطق الأثرية بمصر .
وقال رئيس الإدارة المركزية لآثار الوجه البحرى والدلتا الدكتور محمد عبد المقصود - فى تصريح لوكالة أنباء الشرق الأوسط - إن المسلحين استطاعوا كسر أبواب المخزن والعبث بمحتوياته، وقاموا بكسر عدد من الصناديق التى تحتوى على الآثار، وتمكن بعض الحراس والأثريين من القبض على عدد منهم وفر باقى المسلحين. مشيرا إلى أنه تم تشكيل لجنة فورية لجرد محتويات المخزن لمعرفة ماتم سرقته من آثار.
ولم يستبعد عبد المقصود أن تكون هناك عصابات دولية منظمة تستغل الوضع الأمنى الحالى بمساعدة بعض تجار الآثار لنهب وسرقة الآثار بشكل ممنهج ومدبر، خاصة وأن المواقع الاثرية والمتاحف يتم مهاجمتها بشكل يومي ومن قبل أشخاص مسلحين وباعداد كبيرة .
من ناحية أخرى،تعرض موقع آثار ''الزولين'' بمحافظة الشرقية للتعدى؛ حيث قام مجموعة من الأهالى بالاستيلاء على الموقع الأثرى وقاموا بالبناء عليه .
وأوضح الدكتور عبد المقصود أنه تم إبلاغ الجهات المختصة والقوات المسلحة بهذه الهجمات والتعديات على الآثار..مؤكدا أن وزارة الآثار وضعت خطة عاجلة لتغيير أماكن المخازن الأثرية التى تتعرض للنهب ونقل محتويات عدد كبير منها الى مخازن أخرى أكثر تأمينا.
ونوه الدكتور محمد عبد المقصود إلى دعوة الدكتور زاهى حواس الدولة لتحمل مسئوليتها فى حماية الآثار والمتاحف والمواقع الأثرية وقيام المواطنين الشرفاء واللجان الشعبية بالمشاركة فى عمليات تأمين الآثار والمواقع فى كل أنحاء مصر .
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تمكنت قوات أمن كفرالشيخ بقيادة اللواء أحمد خميس مدير الأمن بالتعاون مع أفراد القوات المسلحة من إلقاء القبض على 4 لصوص من العصابة التى قامت بالسطو على تل الفراعين بدسوق.
وكان اللواء أحمد خميس مدير أمن كفر الشيخ قد تلقى إخطارا باقتحام عصابة مكونة من 10 أفراد تل الفراعين بقرية إبطو فجرا مستقلين سيارة خاصة ، حيث قاموا بالسيطرة على الخفراء الموجودين لحماية التل واستولوا على بنادقهم.
وقام الجناة بتوثيق الخفراء بالحبال واستولوا على 5 طبنجات وبندقية خرطوش، فيما قام بعضهم بفتح التوابيت التى بها الأثار الفرعونية ، وتمكن أحد الخفراء من فك نفسه من القيود ثم قام بعد ذلك بفك زملائه على الفور، ونادى الخفراء بأصوات عالية على أهالى المنطقة الذين تجمعوا وحاصروا اللصوص داخل التل.
وتمكن الأهالى بالتنسيق مع قوات الأمن من إلقاء القبض على 4 لصوص من التشكيل منهم 2 من أسيوط و2 من مدينة الرياض بكفر الشيخ حيث لم يتمكنوا من سرقة أى آثار من التل ، وجارى حاليا التحقيق مع أفراد العصابة للكشف عن الباقى.
ومن ناحية أخرى ، كلف مدير أمن كفر الشيخ بعض قوات الأمن للتواجد الأمنى لحماية تل الفراعين وخاصة أنه تعرض لمحاولة السرقة أكثر من مرة.
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quote:Originally posted by this: تعرض مخزن ''تل الفراعين'' الأثرى بمحافظة كفر الشيخ فجر ''السبت'' لهجوم من أكثر من 40 مسلحًا حاول أفراد الحراسة صدهم، إلا أنهم قاموا بإطلاق النار على الحراس،مما أدى إلى اصابة عدد من الحراس باصابات بالغة.
وتلقى وزير الدولة لشئون الآثار فى حكومة تسيير الأعمال الدكتور زاهى حواس تقريرًا بتعرض مخزن آثار ''تل الفراعين'' بكفر الشيح للهجوم من قبل مسلحين فى محاولة للسرقة والنهب، وهي المرة الثانية التى يتعرض لها هذا المخزن للسرقة منذ 25 يناير الماضى، استغلالا لحالة غياب التأمين عن كافة المخازن والمناطق الأثرية بمصر .
وقال رئيس الإدارة المركزية لآثار الوجه البحرى والدلتا الدكتور محمد عبد المقصود - فى تصريح لوكالة أنباء الشرق الأوسط - إن المسلحين استطاعوا كسر أبواب المخزن والعبث بمحتوياته، وقاموا بكسر عدد من الصناديق التى تحتوى على الآثار، وتمكن بعض الحراس والأثريين من القبض على عدد منهم وفر باقى المسلحين. مشيرا إلى أنه تم تشكيل لجنة فورية لجرد محتويات المخزن لمعرفة ماتم سرقته من آثار.
ولم يستبعد عبد المقصود أن تكون هناك عصابات دولية منظمة تستغل الوضع الأمنى الحالى بمساعدة بعض تجار الآثار لنهب وسرقة الآثار بشكل ممنهج ومدبر، خاصة وأن المواقع الاثرية والمتاحف يتم مهاجمتها بشكل يومي ومن قبل أشخاص مسلحين وباعداد كبيرة .
من ناحية أخرى،تعرض موقع آثار ''الزولين'' بمحافظة الشرقية للتعدى؛ حيث قام مجموعة من الأهالى بالاستيلاء على الموقع الأثرى وقاموا بالبناء عليه .
وأوضح الدكتور عبد المقصود أنه تم إبلاغ الجهات المختصة والقوات المسلحة بهذه الهجمات والتعديات على الآثار..مؤكدا أن وزارة الآثار وضعت خطة عاجلة لتغيير أماكن المخازن الأثرية التى تتعرض للنهب ونقل محتويات عدد كبير منها الى مخازن أخرى أكثر تأمينا.
ونوه الدكتور محمد عبد المقصود إلى دعوة الدكتور زاهى حواس الدولة لتحمل مسئوليتها فى حماية الآثار والمتاحف والمواقع الأثرية وقيام المواطنين الشرفاء واللجان الشعبية بالمشاركة فى عمليات تأمين الآثار والمواقع فى كل أنحاء مصر .
quote:Originally posted by King_Scorpion: Well to be fair it seems like vandalism has always been a problem in Ancient Egypt. I wonder more why Egyptian Antiquities didn't even bother to mark the place or acknowledge its existence!
I'm quite aware that vandalism has long been a common occurance since pharaonic times, but I find it strange how people are willing to vandalise a bunch of rocks unless they know these were actual monuments.
You mean to say that despite the area's special significance to predynastic history and Egyptian history in general the 'Supreme Council of Antiquities' does not even bother to acknowledge it let alone protect it??! WTF!
quote: Nabta Playa before and after...
You posted the last comment in the thread I made about this Djehuti, but that was back in 2009. And who are the Afrangi?
Yes, I thought I remember a topic about this before, but what? There is more recent vandalism that has happened? If you ask me, the UN should step in to protect this site. Afrangi by the way, is a term native Egyptians use for the elite who are of foreign descent.
Posts: 26286 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by King_Scorpion: Well to be fair it seems like vandalism has always been a problem in Ancient Egypt. I wonder more why Egyptian Antiquities didn't even bother to mark the place or acknowledge its existence!
I'm quite aware that vandalism has long been a common occurance since pharaonic times, but I find it strange how people are willing to vandalise a bunch of rocks unless they know these were actual monuments.
You mean to say that despite the area's special significance to predynastic history and Egyptian history in general the 'Supreme Council of Antiquities' does not even bother to acknowledge it let alone protect it??! WTF!
quote: Nabta Playa before and after...
You posted the last comment in the thread I made about this Djehuti, but that was back in 2009. And who are the Afrangi?
Yes, I thought I remember a topic about this before, but what? There is more recent vandalism that has happened? If you ask me, the UN should step in to protect this site. Afrangi by the way, is a term native Egyptians use for the elite who are of foreign descent.
I definitely think there's something fishy about it. The site has been known since the 70s I believe and no one bothered to mess with it...until Robert Bauval begins to tie it with the origins of Ancient Egypt and going around saying it's older than Stonehenge...the oldest astronomical site in the world. Then it's vandalized. Definitely fishy and knowing how Egyptian Antiquities works and their attempt to deny Ancient Egypt's African origins...I wouldn't put it pass them honestly. We're talking about a former dictatorship here people, it's time we stop giving these charlatans the benefit of the doubt that they'd destroy a site like this. Of course, I don't have evidence for it though.
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^ Wow now that you mention it, that does seem like more than coincidence! By the way, Bauval isn't the only one. There were many other prominent Egyptologists who also point to Nabta Playa as an African Stone Age culture that was ancestral to ancient Egypt. I seriously hope the Egyptian SCA wasn't somehow involved because if they were, that would really be f**ked up. I mean Nabta Playa should be considered a national treasure and heritage to the Egyptian people! Posts: 26286 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Djehuti: ^ Wow now that you mention it, that does seem like more than coincidence! By the way, Bauval isn't the only one. There were many other prominent Egyptologists who also point to Nabta Playa as an African Stone Age culture that was ancestral to ancient Egypt. I seriously hope the Egyptian SCA wasn't somehow involved because if they were, that would really be f**ked up. I mean Nabta Playa should be considered a national treasure and heritage to the Egyptian people!
I know Bauval isn't the first one to acknowledge the importance of Nabta Playa, but he certainly is the most acclaimed and the vandalism comes at the time when he started writing his book and speaking about it to other people. From what I understand, Black Genesis has some anticipation behind it and could become a bestseller. This might compel some people to make sure no one can come behind Bauval and follow his work by forever ruining the site.
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UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Wait! Is this the first I've heard of this??! First of all I find it hard to believe people would even mess with what seems to most folks as simply piles of rocks, unless there is some ulterior motive! And again, where is the new reports on this??! Nabta Playa is like a heritage site! This is like when idiots vandalized some of the rock paintings in Tasili N Ager! ![[Mad]](mad.gif)
How were these sh|theads able to get away with this?!
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