Zahi Hawass Behind Pyramid Botch Job?

Zahi Hawass' blog discusses the importance of the Step Pyramid and his heroic efforts to help save it from collapse with the help of an "all Egyptian team."  Now that it appears the job has been horribly botched, will he accept some responsibility?

Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities claim there is no problem at all and the archaeological lobby remains silent about this unfolding debacle.  No wonder.  This latest mess again calls into question their premise that the Egyptian military dictatorship is such a fine steward of all things Egyptian that undocumented artifacts should be repatriated to its tender loving care.

US Taxpayer to Pay SLAM's Attorney's Fees?

The US taxpayer has already paid dearly to pursue a stale claim to the Ka Nefer Nefer Mummy Mask at the behest of now disgraced (but perhaps to be rehabilitated) Zahi Hawass and the Egyptian Military Dictatorship.  Now, pursuant to a statute meant to reimburse claimants who successfully defend their interests in seized property, the US taxpayer is likely to also be stuck for a bill for the Saint Louis Art Museum's attorney's fees.  This is as it should be, but hopefully the government will be more discriminating in what cases it pursues in the future.  Too often, the decision seems to be made on little more than pressure from the archaeological lobby and the State Department, whose primary interest seems to be to bend over backwards for nationalistic foreign potentates.

Brent Benjamin for CPAC!

Now that the Saint Louis Art Museum has prevailed on appeal in its long running battle to save the Ka Nefer Nefer Mummy Mask for the good people of Saint Louis, MO, its high time for President Obama to right a wrong and reseat Saint Louis Art Museum Director Brent Benjamin on CPAC.  Unfortunately, although President Bush appointed Benjamin to the post, the State Department never allowed him to serve, presumably because of pressure from the archaeological lobby and then Egyptian Antiquities Pharaoh Zahi Hawass.  It's now time to right this wrong and for President Obama to reappoint Benjamin to CPAC at the earliest possible opportunity.

Return of the Pharaoh?

Zahi Hawass has been cleared of all corruption charges in Egypt, and just before CPAC's meeting on the Egyptian MOU where the "unclean hands" of Egypt's cultural establishment should be an issue.  How "convenient."  Of course, justice seems to be an "elastic" concept within Egypt, where guilt or innocence has as much to do with who is in power as anything else.  And, presumably Egypt's generals like how Hawass has "projected Egyptian power" in the past.  So, how long before he returns as Egypt's antiquities Pharaoh?

Collecting Egyptian Not So Bad?

We've heard recently from the archaeological blogosphere that collecting ancient Egyptian artifacts is somehow wrong.  Yet, former Egyptian Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass has been kind enough to offer the proceeds of a lecture he is giving so that  the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco can purchase a wooden statuette of Seneb, scribe of royal documents.  Presumably, the artifact was legitimately acquired sometime ago, but details are not readily apparent on the Legion's website.  And even if so, is there any proof that the artifact was legally exported from Egypt before 1983, as Egyptian officials purport to require?

Zahi Hawass the Martyr?

Yes, at least according to fringe elements within the archaeological blogsphere.  And no, his alleged crime is not having a poor agent who got the world famous archaeologist an unfavorable deal compared to other reality TV stars. Rather, it's instead allegedly using his public office for private gain.  If true, that presumably should be of concern to the archaeological community.  After all, isn't that stealing from the Egyptian people?  And shouldn't that be considered far more serious than some poor farmer doing some illicit excavation work to feed his family?

Who Are the Real Cultural Racketeers?

Colleagues of former Egyptian Antiquities Pharaoh Zahi Hawass have charged him with amassing $14 million in ill-gotten gains in US Banks. 

Presumably, US Prosecutors, who are said to be investigating National Geographic, a former member of the International Coalition to Support the Protection of Egyptian Antiquities, for bribery in an exclusive TV access for cash scheme will get to the bottom of all this.  But given current realities, one suspects any indictments will be delayed until well after the pre-judged MOU with Egypt is announced.

All this does, however, raise an important question that should be discussed whatever the results of these particular investigations.

Is it possible that some of the biggest "cultural racketeers" the Antiquities Coalition say exist are in fact associated with the Egyptian Government itself?   And, if so, does it follow that a MOU with Egypt may only foster yet more corruption?

Lobbying Group Supporting Egypt's Military Government Scrubbed Before Push for Emergency Restrictions?

Based on recent reports, politically connected members of the Antiquities Coalition  and Capitol Archaeological Institute are lobbying the US State Department in support of Egypt's request for so-called "emergency import restrictions" on Egyptian cultural artifacts.

But conspicuously absent from these efforts are two of their key allies, Zahi Hawass and National Geographic presumably because both are still under federal investigation related to a bribery scheme.

One hand washes the other is unfortunately a fact of life in places like Egypt.  Under the circumstances, there needs to be far more transparency about the Antiquities Coalition and the Capitol Archaeological Institute including their funding, political contacts, aims and exact relationship with Egypt's military government.

Which Office Do I Go To To Get My Reputation Back?

Federal prosecutors have dropped  all smuggling charges against Joe Lewis II, a well-known collector of Egyptian antiquities.   The much ballyhooed case against Lewis and two co-defendants never lived up to the initial hype, stoked by the U.S. Attorney's press office, the archaeological blogosphere and former Egyptian Antiquities Pharaoh Zahi Hawass (who at the time was desperately trying to keep his job).  And now,  with Lewis exonerated, he's the one who should be asking that famous question, "Which office do I go to to get my reputation back?"

NAT GEO Under Investigation for Bribery

Reports have surfaced that US Government investigators are looking into whether National Geographic's business relationships with former Egyptian Antiquities Pharaoh Zahi Hawass violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  CPO first raised questions about this business relationship back in 2011.  In CPO's opinion there needs to be far more scrutiny of such relationships between foreign cultural bureaucrats and US archaeologists and their related organizations.  As it is, there is virtually none at this time.

Will Egypt's Military Coup Pave the Way for Zahi Hawass' Return to Power?

The Egyptian military has followed the old example of Turkey's Generals to take power from the inept, sectarian Egyptian President, Morsi.  Like their (now weakened) Turkish counterparts, it appears that Egypt's Generals hope to restore "order" before allowing for a new Presidential election.   There is plenty of room to debate the rights and wrongs here, but this is a blog about cultural property issues, not Egyptian politics per se.  However, politics certainly does often intrude into such issues, so let me be the first to ask whether this military coup will pave the way for Zahi Hawass to return as Egypt's antiquities pharaoh.  Zahi was a favorite of the Mubarak regime, but that affiliation did him no good in Revolutionary Egypt.   It now remains to be seen whether the military will view Hawass as a charismatic asset to restore order to Egypt's beleaguered antiquities establishment (and bring in those tourist dollars!) or a corrupt and confrontational relic from the still discredited past.  Personally,  I'm betting we'll be saying "He's back" before long.

Belize Lays Claim to Crystal Skull Movie's "Illegal Profits"

It must take awhile for movies to get down to Belize.  It's been out for years, but now an archaeologist, purportedly acting on behalf of that nation's government, is suing the owners of the Indiana Jones franchise for their alleged unauthorized use of a facsimile of an artifact from that country.

According to press reports, "Scientist Jaime Awe claims Hollywood hot shots used a model of the swiped Belizean relic in the 2008 flick, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” to rake in 'illegal profits.'”

Of course, he now wants a piece of the action, i.e., a portion of the Crystal Skull Movie's $378 million profit, for the Central American country.

In so doing, Awe and Belize seem to be taking a page from Zahi Hawass and Egypt who hoped to copyright  the pyramids and rake in even larger sums.  

Leaving aside the dubious merits of this lawsuit, I have to assume this news is a bit embarrassing for Harrison Ford, a.k.a "Indiana Jones," who is a past AIA Trustee.

And which side will the AIA take in this dispute?  The downtrodden and exploited country of Belize or the Hollywood hot shots who have helped promote archaeology?

And will SAFE and other hard liners be telling the AIA "we told you so" for its efforts to promote the movie and make its leading man an AIA Trustee?

Egyptian Administrative Court Orders Return of Artifacts on Display in US

An Egyptian administrative court has ruled that objects in a US travelling exhibition should be returned home because they improperly left the country.  Former Egyptian antiquities Pharaoh Hawass has been charged with corruption based on his links to this exhibit.  It's unclear if Egyptian authorities believe that Hawass skimmed any of the money from the travelling show or they solely claim that improper procedures were followed in allowing the artifacts to be exhibited abroad.  

It is clear that this action will cause headaches for Hawass' friends in the US, including National Geographic.  (The Rupert Murdoch connection in the article is unclear, though presumably it relates to the National Geographic Cable TV channel.)   Before the revolution, National Geographic was paying Hawass as much as $200,000 per year for being an "explorer in residence."

The US Government has been very aggressive in seeking the repatriation of Egyptian artifacts, but  seemingly uninterested in determining if there have been any financial improprieties related to payments for this exhibit.  Given the money involved, one would think there should be some investigation even if it would by necessity look at Hawass' friends associated with the archaeological lobby.

I Am Egyptian Antiquities

So says Zahi Hawass, who is apparently even now is planning his return as Egypt’s Antiquities Pharaoh. Never mind the stink of corruption, cronyism, and disdain for ordinary Egyptians. Apparently, some think Egypt’s problems in attracting tourists to a country beset by the prospect of violence can be solved by returning Hawass to his post. Not likely. And one hopes Hawass’ hopes for a return are just that.

US Government Appeals SLAM Decision

The US Government has appealed the decision to dismiss its effort to seek the forfeiture of the Ka Nefer Nefer Mask.  It has been reported such decisions are made by the same US State Department and Customs and Border Protection cultural bureacracy responsible for imposing import restrictions.  If so, one wonders if the appeal is at least in part an effort to throw a lifeline to Zahi Hawass, who after all has sought to bolster his position with the Egyptian Government through being "indispensible" for the protection of Egyptian cultural property.

Richard Engel on Egyptian Looting: Does Video Match Reality?

Richard Engel of NBC News has produced  a piece that reflects the views of Egypt’s cultural bureaucracy under the old guard in the person of Zahi Hawass and his allies in the American archaeological community.

Yet, does Engel’s reporting really match the reality on the ground or just the propaganda of Egypt’s discredited cultural bureaucracy, which must be desperate to justify itself to Egypt’s new Islamic rulers?

The real issues are that there are no police to protect the sites, the people are desperately poor, and the Egyptian cultural bureaucracy wants to control more than they can or should (even what you find under your own house!).

One should also note for all the talk about criminal looters from Hawass (allegedly a crook on a much larger scale -- a subject Engel studiously avoided broaching) and an American archaeologist, all I saw were locals looking for stuff presumably to feed their impoverished families.

Perhaps in the complete absence of police American archaeologists should pay for local security guards to protect their sites. Their salaries can't cost all that much. I'm also mystified how looters can find a previously unknown tomb and loot it overnight on a site that has apparently been under archaeological investigation for years.  Perhaps now unemployed diggers for American archaeologists knew about the tomb for years, but did not to divulge it to them out of distrust of foreign archaeologists who would take these treasures from them.

Egypt Elects Muslim Brotherhood Leader Mohamed Morsi as President

The Egyptian people have spoken. In so doing, they have rejected the old guard, and instead have embraced a sectarian candidate. Some of his rhetoric has been troubling, but it is unclear if his Muslim Brotherhood intends to rule Egypt as Ahmadinezhād’s Iran or Erdogan’s Turkey.

And what will the transition hold for Egyptian antiquities? The rejection of the old guard is probably bad news for Zahi Hawass, who presumably still faces corruption charges. But it also remains to be seen if government funding for Egypt’s antiquities will be maintained (it should) or whether the cultural bureaucracy will be allowed to maintain its absolute control over everything and anything old (it shouldn’t.).

More Looting in Egypt- But is the Prescription More of the Same?

The AP has filed this report on looting in Egypt.  See http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/egypt-turmoil-thieves-hunt-pharaonic-treasures-16334929#.T66C0_F5mSM

Yet, branding poor people who dig under their own houses as "thieves" and calling for more repressive measures probably won't solve the problem.  Perhaps, the real issue is that the Egyptian State's Pharaonic approach to these issues confuses control with conservation to the detriment of the latter.

Speaking of lawbreaking, the article-- which apparently is based totally on information from archaeologists and Egyptian cultural bureaucrats-- nowhere discusses the status of the case against former Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass, who has been charged with antiquities theft and corruption.

If Egyptian authorities insist on prosecuting the poor for "antiquities theft" shouldn't they also take a similarly hard line against Dr. Hawass, who, after all, was one of the major proponents of such repressive measures when he was in charge?

Seat Brent Benjamin on CPAC

A US District Court's decision to throw out the Government's claim against the Lady Ka-nefer-nefer Mask should also revive Brent Benjamin's appointment to CPAC to represent the interests of the Museum Community.

President Bush appointed Benjamin to the post, but the State Department never seated him, presumably because of Zahi Hawass' campaign to vilify Benjamin, a cause taken up by SAFE and other archaeological groups. See http://www.savingantiquities.org/brent-benjamin-to-join-cpac-an-outrageous-appointment/

Now that the Government's claim has been dismissed and Zahi Hawass has been disgraced, it's time for the State Department to follow the law and seat Mr. Benjamin, who after all was legally appointed by President Bush to the post.

SLAM Dunk

A US District Court has dismissed a forfeiture claim brought by the United States on behalf of Egypt for a mummy mask owned by the St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM). The Government had claimed that the artifact, known as the Mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer, was "stolen" under Egyptian law. The mask in question has been on display at SLAM since 1998.

In pertinent part, the Court stated,

The verified complaint does not provide a factual statement of theft, smuggling, or clandestine importation. Rather, the complaint merely states that the Mask was found to be "missing' from Egypt in 1973. Although the Government alleges, in conclusory fashion, that "the register did not document that the Mask was sold or given to a private party during the time frame 1966 to 1973," the Complaint is completely devoid of any facts showing that the Mask was sold or given to a private party during the time frame of 1966 to 1973," the complaint is completely devoid of any facts showing that the Mask was "missing" because it was stolen and then smuggled out of the country... The Government's legal conclusion, in paragraph 22 of the verified complaint, that "[b]ecause the Mask was stolen, it could not have been lawfully exported from Egypt or lawfully imported into the United States," misses a number of factual and logical steps, namely: (1) an assertion that the Mask was actually stolen; (2) factual circumstances relating to when the Government believes the Mask was stolen; (3) facts relating to the location from which the Mask was stolen; (4) facts regarding who the Government believes stole the Mask; and (5) a statement or identification of the law which the Government believes applies under which the Mask could be considered stolen and/or illegally exported.

The Government cannot simply rest on its laurels and believe that it can initiate a civil forfeiture proceeding on the basis of one bold assertion that because something went missing from one party in 1973 and turned up with another party in 1998, it was therefore stolen and/or imported or exported illegally.

Ironically, the decision was released the same day it was reported that the instigator of the claim against SLAM, former Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass, is to face corruption charges in Egypt, related to a National Geographic sponsored exhibit in the United States. See http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/38308/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Indiana-Jones-faces-charges.aspx

One hopes that the US Government will be as aggressive investigating whether American archaeologists and the National Geographic were parties to any corrupt practices involving Hawass, as the US Government has been in going after SLAM over the Ka-Nefer-Nefer mask.