Zahi Hawass's Dig Days column looks, this week, at the changing role of Egyptians in the recovery of their own heritage. He points out that while in the past the contribution of Egyptians was as members of foreign missions, there are now Egyptian-led teams working on sites: "The young Egyptian archaeologists were working with the foreign missions. This made me mad! I wondered why we could not do our own work. Later, I found out that we needed an excellent education. Education in all aspects of Egyptology is extremely important. For example, it is essential to know the best excavation techniques so as to carry out the best excavations and produce good publications. This is what encouraged me to leave Egypt and study for seven years on a Fulbright fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. The result of education is clear, because for the first time the leaders of Egypt's antiquities are Egyptian. Egyptians are now on an equal playing field with our foreign colleagues and we all work together for the benefit of the monuments."
See the above article for the full story, which is part IV of a set of installments, all looking at the Valley of the Kings.
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