Matt deMille
New member
goodeknight said:Here's the problem, Yure: In Egypt, "International funding" for archaeological research is nothing compared to tourist dollars. Hawass is a great promoter not just of himself (whether you can stand him or not, you have to admit he's very watchable), but of Egypt and Egyptian history. So he's keeping interest (and tourism) alive. As for unveiling much more than we actually know, there are plenty of Egyptian antiquities and mummies gathering dust in the storerooms of dozens of universities and museums around the world. There are research opportunities right there, and Hawass doesn't oppose international teams coming in to do their research. He just doesn't want to see all the "goodies" going to other countries.
I lived in Egypt for two years and studied at the American University in Cairo. There are international research teams all over the country, but they're lost in a sea of tourists, and those tourists are spending big bucks to see the sites Hawass is so passionate about.
I am curious: Having lived in Egypt for two years and studied there, how much do you feel Hawass and others maintain the party-line in regards to orthodox Egyptology? I am interested in alternative histories and am certain that discoveries contradicting the accepted view (of Egyptology) are suppressed, either for reasons of national pride or maintaining the tourist industry, or both. What are your thoughts about that?