Zahi Hawass

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Dr. Zahi Hawass signs an autograph (August 2003)
Dr. Zahi Hawass signs an autograph (August 2003)

Dr. Zahi Hawass (Arabic: زاهي حواس ) (born Damietta, Egypt, on 28 May 1947) is an Egyptian archaeologist and one of the world's foremost Egyptologists. In recent years, has gained international renown in non-archaeological circles through his frequent appearances in television documentaries pertaining to early Egyptian civilization.

Hawass received his Bachelor's degree from the Alexandria University, and his Ph.D from University of Pennsylvania. He is currently the Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities[1]; prior to that, he was the Director of the Giza Plateau and has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert, and the Upper Nile Valley.

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[edit] Current work

Hawass is currently spearheading a movement to return many prominent Ancient Egyptian artifacts, such as the Rosetta Stone, to Egypt from collections around the globe in which they are in safekeeping. In July 2003, the Egyptians demanded the return of the Rosetta Stone. Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo told the press "If the British want to be remembered, if they want to restore their reputation, they should volunteer to return the Rosetta Stone because it is the icon of our Egyptian identity."[2][3]

He is also a vocal opponent of ancient astronauts theories about a previous worldwide civilization. He appeared on a History Channel show to dispel the theories, and provided evidence to show that the Egyptians built the Egyptian pyramids. Hawass is now a regular columnist for Egypt Today magazine [4]. Hawass was also alongside the Egyptologist Otto Schaden who opened Tomb KV63 in February 2006--the first intact tomb to be found in the Valley of the Kings since 1922.

[edit] Trivia

Dr. Hawass reports that one day he was visited by a man from California who asked, “Can I see your bathroom?” He examined it then asked if he could take a photograph. “Everyone says you leave your office at 12:00 and go to your bathroom," he explained. "You open a tunnel there, and you go to the pyramid and hide things.” Hawass asked if he had found a tunnel; his visitor said no, and stated that he would publish the photograph of the bathroom on the Internet.[5]

In the summer of 1997, Dr. Hawass was a guest lecturer at UCLA teaching a class in the History of Ancient Egypt. Students of the class included Sean Astin and Rich Corey.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dr. Hawass's home page
  2. ^ Charlotte Edwardes and Catherine Milner. "Egypt demands return of the Rosetta Stone", The Daily Telegraph, 2003-07-20. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.
  3. ^ Henry Huttinger (2005-07-28). Stolen Treasures: Zahi Hawass wants the Rosetta Stone back--among other things. Cairo Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-10-06.
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ Hawass has told this story several times: once in a speech before a graduating class of the American University in Cairo, and most recently (5 November 2006) at a speech at the Portland Art Museum.

[edit] External links

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