Egypt's prized statue damaged: Zahi Hawass faces backlash
Zahi Hawass is an undisputed authority in the field of archaeology. As the world's most renowned Egyptologist, a long-serving Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and also Egypt's Minister of Culture, he may face serious legal trouble. The issue involves striking with a hammer, which caused damage to a 4,300-year-old sculpture.
Priceless discovery
The hammer incident took place during excavations conducted in Saqqara. In a small niche of the tomb, the archaeological mission discovered a statue measuring approximately 53 centimetres, dating from the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (2494 BC - 2345 BC).
This means the figurine is around 4,300 years old. Zahi Hawass himself was responsible for retrieving it from behind a clay wall. And then disaster struck – clearly visible in the video posted on social media.
The video caused a huge uproar in Egypt to the extent that Mustafa Bakri took up the matter of the "hammer in Hawass's clumsy hands." The Egyptian parliamentarian submitted an official letter to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, in which he accused the Egyptologist of destroying the statue, demanding severe punishment for him.
- What happened is a crime. With the use of a pickaxe, the renowned archaeologist broke the white, wooden kilt at the lower part of the statue. I remind you that the law on the protection of monuments provides for a prison sentence of up to seven years and a fine of up to one million Egyptian pounds (about £195,000) for anyone who intentionally destroys, damages a monument, changes its features, or intentionally separates its parts - we read in the letter from the MP to Minister Sherif Fathi.
The archaeologist defends himself
Hawass responded to these accusations in his usual style.
Hawass stated that he has spent more than five decades working on excavations and considers himself unmatched in archaeological expertise within Egypt. He described the challenges involved in accessing the statue, emphasizing his careful and skillful removal of stones to ensure precision. Highlighting his professional approach, he also referenced Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, noting that the removal of the mask from the mummy caused it to break into 18 pieces, which were later restored.
"Everyone knows that Zahi Hawass is the best archaeologist in the world, and the small mistake that occurred was immediately rectified," concluded the 77-year-old Egyptologist.
The figurine was restored by a team led by Dr. Ashraf Awis, the General Director of "Saqqara Restoration," and is stored in a local conservation workshop.
Hawass announced he would take legal action against those involved in the campaign defaming his good name.
