Interview: Zahi Hawass
Andrew and Whitney Bayuk’s interview of Zahi Hawass on 28 July 2008 is truly revealing of the many archaeological activities going on in Egypt today. These include research, excavations, restorations, improvements and new projects.
Research:
The 18th dynasty mummies CT scan and DNA research continues. The latest is a much publicized study of the two mummified fetuses at Tutankhamen’s tomb. This research is aimed at establishing the parentage among well reknowned figures such as Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Tutankhamen.
Excavations:
New finds continue to sprout all over Egypt. At Saqqarah, a pyramid of a queen of King Teti and other tombs were found.
At the Valley of the Kings, the entrances of 2 tombs, KV 64 and KV 65 have been cleared and excavation will start in October. One of these could be the Tomb of Ramses VIII. Work at the Tomb of Seti I has revealed that it is even larger than thought, with a possible second chamber at the end of a large tunnel recently discovered.
Evidence of a temple at Deir el Bahari might lead to the discovery of the Tomb of Amenhotep I. And the search continues for the tombs of Queen Nefertiti, Thutmose II, Ramses VIII and all the queens of the 18th Dynasty. The Royal Ladies were not buried in the Valley of the Queens as the tombs here were first built in the 19th Dynasty.
Restoration:
A comprehensive laser survey is being conducted at the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Hawass mentions that “the laser survey is very important. If you need to restore anything we must first record all the stones. And all the stones cannot be recorded without using the laser. The Japanese Team now are doing all the computation for each stone then we can really know what’s weak, what’s strong, this is the only way to restore the pyramid.” Other restoration projects in the area are happening at the Serapeum and the South Tomb.
At Giza, the Pyramid of Menkaure is closed and the Pyramid of Khafre will soon follow. The Great Pyramid of Khufu will remain open with a limit of 300 visitors a day.
At the Valley of the Kings, the Tomb of Tutankhamen closes everyday from 12:00 to 2:00 pm with a limited number of visitors allowed entrance every day.
Improvements:
The entrance at the Giza Plateau now has x-ray security. The unearthed second boat of Khufu is now visible to the public via camera on a TV screen. The boat will be restored and reconstructed.
In Aswan, visitors now have a better experience at the Unfinished Obelisk and the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo. At Kom Ombo, tourists arrive and see the temple from the water. They can now visit the Crocodile Museum, a new installation dedicated to the animal worshipped at Kom Ombo.
In Amarna, a new modern road will bring visitors in less time. The tombs are improved now, and work is going on the Visitor Center, to introduce the site.
New Projects:
The biggest addition at Giza is the new Grand Museum. The giant statue of Ramses II have been moved there from Ramses Square. The conservation rooms are finished and the construction of the museum will start in October. After its inauguration (5 years?) all 4500 objects from Tutankhamen will be exhibited there as well as most of the objects at the Cairo Museum, which is being transformed into an Open Museum about Egyptian art.
Construction at the Civilization Museum in Old Cairo is finished. Al-Muizz Street in Old Cairo, with its beautiful mosques and houses is now a no car zone and an incredible experience to walk at night.
Near Alexandria, the finished National Museum of Rashid, about the Mameluke period, will soon be opened.
Construction of the Akhenaten Museum in Mynia is finished. It will tell the public about the history of monotheism and its only about Akhenaten and the royal family of Amarna.
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