Cairo: Egyptology in crisis

Current World Archaeology (Tom St John Gray)

March 29, 2012. Issue 49.

A lengthy extract from a longer artcile.  This chunk of the article mainly deals with the career of Zahi Hawass.

After the dramatic departure of President Hosni Mubarak, attention swiftly turned to one of his high-profile ministers, the world- famous archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass. No stranger to the glare of the media spotlight, Hawass quickly became tainted along with the crumbling regime and was engulfed by damaging charges of corruption and mismanagement. On Sunday 17 July, Hawass was abruptly sacked as the Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs in an overhaul of the country’s cabinet, and his controversial reign as one of the most powerful men in the archaeological world finally came to an end.