El todopoderoso ministro de Cultura abandona el Gobierno y ofrece información actualizada sobre el daño a los yacimientos y almacenes por todo el país. Nada más conocerse la noticia de que el Ejército egipcio ha forzado la dimisión del primer ministro Ahmed Shafiq, se ha confirmado que también el todopoderoso jefe del Consejo Superior de Antigüedades y ministro de Cultura desde la revuelta de Tahrir, Zahi Hawass, ha presentado su dimisión. Y no solo eso, coincidiendo con su renuncia, el internacionalmente reconocido Hawass ha posteado una lista de los yacimientos dañados desde que en Egipto estalló la rebelión que ha terminado con el régimen de Hosni Mubarak. Hawass ha declarado a «The New York Times» que está contento por haber tomado «la decisión correcta». Es la primera vez que se conoce a ciencia cierta y de manera sistemática la situación del patrimonio egipcio en medio de la volátil situación de las últimas semanas.

Fuente: J.G. Calero | ABC.es, 4 de marzo de 2011

Almacenes arqueológicos

 
Empezando por instalaciones en un yacimiento en el Sinaí, destruido por expoliadores que llegaron con un remolque. Hawass advierte que muchos almacenes han sufrido brechas y están siendo dañados. Saqqara, uno de los principales yacimientos del país «ha sido atacado sistemáticamente por criminales. Los candados de muchas tumbas han sido abiertos».

La cosa no acaba ahí. En Dahshur han atacado las instalaciones de la misión arqueológica del Metropolitan Museum, reduciendo y atando a los guardias para ejecutar el robo. En Abusir, los expoliadores han entrado en los almacenes de la expedición checa. Lo mismo ha ocurrido en lubares como Tell el Basta y Wadi el Feiran, muy cerca de Sharm el Sheikh.

En Giza, el pasado 1 de marzo, «criminales lograron entrar en el almacén Selim Hasan. Iban armados y redujeron rápidamente a los guardias que no portaban armas y temieron por sus vidas». En todos los lugares referidos, asegura Zahi Hawass en su web, los inspectores están aún valorando el expolio cuidadosamente y comprobando los inventarios arqueológicos. Cuando acaben esta tarea se redactará un informe completo.
Lugares faraónicos

 
La tumba de Ken-Amun en Tell el Maskhuta, cerca de Ismailia, ha sido destruida completamente, de acuerdo con la información de Hawass. Era la única tumba conocida de la XIX dinastía en el bajo egipto. Cerca de la Esfinge de Giza, también ha sido expoliada la tumba de Impy. En otros yacimientos lo intentaron pero pudieron ser interceptados. En la tumba de Ptahshepses, en Saqqara, han robado piedras con jeroglíficos y partes de las puertas falsas. También se ha robado parte de los jeroglíficos de la tumba homónima en Abusir.

Guardias en los sitios de Nekhen, al norte de Edfu, han detenido a numerosos expoliadores, en una zona muy conocida por enconrarse en plena ruta del turismo a lo largo del Nilo. Y en Asuán trataron de robar una estatua de Ramses II, pero los guardias ayudados por arqueólogos lo impidieron, afortunadamente.

En lugares como Abydos se han registrado ataques casi cada noche, y se han abierto trincheras de excavaciones ilegales. Esta práctica se está exendiendo a numerosos lugares, desde Alejandría hasta el sur. También ha habido daños en monumentos islámicos. Hawass lo lamenta, aunque también da una pincelada de esperanza al confesar su alegría porque la protección a las sinagogas e iglesias cristianas ha resultado efectiva y ahí no se han producido daños.

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The status of Egyptian antiquities today, 3 March, 2011

By Dr. Zahi Hawass

 
When the revolution began on January 25, 2011, and through its first week, there were only a few reports of looting: at Qantara East in the Sinai, and at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. However, since Mubarak's resignation, looting has increased all over the country, and our antiquities are in grave danger from criminals trying to take advantage of the current situation.

The Egyptian Museum, Cairo

On Saturday, 29 January, I entered the museum the morning after the break-in and I could see through the museum’s monitor, objects were broken and thrown all over the galleries. However, all of the masterpieces seemed to be present. At first glance, it did not seem that objects were missing and I announced that the museum was safe.

After our preliminary inventory, we discovered that eighteen items were missing. Thankfully four of these items have already been recovered. The Heart Scarab of Yuya and the body of the goddess from the statue of Menkaret carrying Tutankhamun were both found on the west side of the museum near the new gift shop, and one of the missing shabtis of Yuya was discovered under a showcase inside of the museum. The statue of Akhenaten as an offering bearer was discovered by a young protester near the southern wall of the museum in Tahrir Square. His family immediately contacted the Ministry of State for Antiquities to arrange the statue’s return to the museum. I am now waiting for the Registration, Collections Management and Documentation Department to complete its final report on what else, if anything, is missing from the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. The General Director of the museum has told me that this report will be completed by Sunday.

Storage magazines in Egypt

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

Several pharaonic sites have been subjected to vandalism and looting. 

· 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.
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· 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.

Islamic Monuments

Islamic monuments have also suffered during this crisis.

· The police station of el-Gamalia was set on fire; this station ensured that no cars drove on al-Muizz Street. This street was recently restored at a cost of one billion Egyptian pounds. Without the police presence, cars have already returned to al-Muizz Street.

· In Tanta, the Sabeel of Ali Bey Al-Kabir, was broken into and three windows of Msavat metal framework, furniture and the modern iron gate were stolen. Some pieces of the window were found in the possession of street merchants.

· Near Alexandria, Kom el Nadoura suffered some damage to its doors and furniture.

· At Wekhalit el Jeddawi, in Esna, the local people broke in, changed the locks and are protesting in front of the wekhalit.

· Khan el-Zeraksha, a recently restored group of villas, was broken into by about 50 armed thugs, who forced the security team to leave. The criminals are still occupying the site.

· On Monday, February 14, a group broke the door to Wekhalit el Haramin, at Hussein, which falls under the Egyptian Awqaf Authority. The Egyptian army and the Awqaf Authority worked together and had the thugs out by Tuesday, however.

Despite all of the damage and looting that has occurred, I am happy to report that all of the Jewish synagogues and all of the Christian churches and monasteries have remained safe and undamaged.

The antiquities guards and security forces at sites are unarmed and this makes them easy targets for armed looters. The guards and security forces are therefore forced to comply with the criminals’ demands. In addition, the Egyptian police force does not have the capacity to protect every single site, monument and museum in Egypt. The situation looks very difficult today and we are trying our best to ensure the police and army restore full protection to the cultural heritage of the country.   

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Egypt’s Chief of Antiquities Says He’s Not Staying OnBy KATE TAYLOR
Published: © 2011 The New York Times ,March 3, 2011

Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s chief antiquities official for almost a decade and a cabinet minister since January, said Thursday that he would not stay on in a newly formed government.

Egypt’s prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, resigned Thursday, and the army asked his replacement, Essam Sharaf, to form a caretaker cabinet.

“If the government will ask me again, I will not accept this job,” Mr. Hawass said in a telephone interview.

He also posted on his blog a list of some two dozen sites that have been looted or vandalized since the beginning of the uprising that led to the fall of Hosni Mubarak. Among them were the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s storerooms at its excavation site in Dahshur, south of Cairo, which he said were attacked twice.

In recent weeks, Mr. Hawass has been the target of criticism ranging from charges of corruption to complaints that he is a publicity seeker. He was closely associated with Mr. Mubarak, who promoted him to a cabinet position during his last days in power.

In the interview, Mr. Hawass lashed out at his critics but said he was leaving his job because he could no longer protect Egypt’s antiquities. “Those people are insects, they are nothing, but what really bothered me is the situation that you read today on my Web site,” he said.

Egyptologists and cultural heritage experts said they did not know who would succeed Mr. Hawass, and one expert expressed concern that his departure would lead to more looting.

“I am terrified by the idea that this might be a sign to potential looters that now that last element of control is gone, and now we have a free hand to continue looting,” said Karl von Habsburg, the president of the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield, a body that tries to protect cultural heritage in conflict zones.

The director of the Metropolitan Museum, Thomas P. Campbell, said the museum had not previously disclosed the attacks on the storerooms at Dahshur, which took place several weeks ago, because the “nature of the information we were getting was confused.” The objects excavated from the site belong to the Egyptian government, not the Met, he said, adding that museum officials were “gravely concerned about what’s going on” in Egypt.