العربية egyptologist: the west is driving looting
by：Runcheng Chuangzhan
2019-09-11
Barry Kemp said that the Western prosperous Antique Market is behind the looting of Egyptian heritage, and he described the worrying situation on the ground, where is your excavation site?
I work in Amarna.
A living capital built by the \"pagan\" Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14 th century BC.
It is a beautiful desert that borders the high cliffs.
We are trying to draw, excavate and repair the ancient buildings.
How did you hear about the Egyptian uprising?
On Saturday, January 29, we received a police order to close.
We packed up our equipment on Sunday and most of the expedition\'s personnel were evacuated to Cairo on Monday.
I stayed with another player.
What measures have you taken to protect Amarna?
As archaeological sites were attacked elsewhere in Egypt, police asked us to block the entrance to our storage room.
The workers built a limestone wall on the iron gate and covered the main wall with cement, so it looked indestructible.
In February 5, we finally came to Cairo where I lived.
As we drove through the western desert, life seemed to be going on normally even though the train was not running.
What did you look like when you returned to Cairo?
The traffic is busy and the shops and gas stations are open.
On February 10, I went to the office of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and asked for permission to start digging again.
The door was locked but there was a side door that allowed me to go in and I was allowed.
The journey home passed the focus of the protest at Tahrir Square.
The sidewalk was packed with demonstrators, but there was no aggressive behavior, only a calm determination.
I returned to Amarna in February 28.
What did you find when you returned to Amarna?
Thankfully, we found no sign of robbery.
However, the police here are cautious and they agree that it will take time to restart our excavation.
I am optimistic that I will be able to get full consent soon, so archaeologists who are arriving in Cairo now can move on here.
What research are you doing this season?
We want to go back to the excavation of the city cemetery and study the bones and colon;
There is a shocking picture of a tense life.
We will also implement a plan to repair a building in Akhenaten, the North Palace.
How serious is the robbery in other parts of the country?
Archaeological sites are usually protected by tourist and antiquities police.
All branches of internal security seem to have been destroyed and in an uncertain atmosphere the wolf has come out.
The main target of the robbers is the storage room of antiquities.
It is impossible to know how bad the whole situation is.
The most useful thing the international community can do in this regard is to examine its own conscience.
The plundering of the site is to satisfy the antique market that continues to prosper in Europe and the United States.
Now, it is a reasonable assumption that any Egyptian artwork sold is either fake or robbed.
I work in Amarna.
A living capital built by the \"pagan\" Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14 th century BC.
It is a beautiful desert that borders the high cliffs.
We are trying to draw, excavate and repair the ancient buildings.
How did you hear about the Egyptian uprising?
On Saturday, January 29, we received a police order to close.
We packed up our equipment on Sunday and most of the expedition\'s personnel were evacuated to Cairo on Monday.
I stayed with another player.
What measures have you taken to protect Amarna?
As archaeological sites were attacked elsewhere in Egypt, police asked us to block the entrance to our storage room.
The workers built a limestone wall on the iron gate and covered the main wall with cement, so it looked indestructible.
In February 5, we finally came to Cairo where I lived.
As we drove through the western desert, life seemed to be going on normally even though the train was not running.
What did you look like when you returned to Cairo?
The traffic is busy and the shops and gas stations are open.
On February 10, I went to the office of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and asked for permission to start digging again.
The door was locked but there was a side door that allowed me to go in and I was allowed.
The journey home passed the focus of the protest at Tahrir Square.
The sidewalk was packed with demonstrators, but there was no aggressive behavior, only a calm determination.
I returned to Amarna in February 28.
What did you find when you returned to Amarna?
Thankfully, we found no sign of robbery.
However, the police here are cautious and they agree that it will take time to restart our excavation.
I am optimistic that I will be able to get full consent soon, so archaeologists who are arriving in Cairo now can move on here.
What research are you doing this season?
We want to go back to the excavation of the city cemetery and study the bones and colon;
There is a shocking picture of a tense life.
We will also implement a plan to repair a building in Akhenaten, the North Palace.
How serious is the robbery in other parts of the country?
Archaeological sites are usually protected by tourist and antiquities police.
All branches of internal security seem to have been destroyed and in an uncertain atmosphere the wolf has come out.
The main target of the robbers is the storage room of antiquities.
It is impossible to know how bad the whole situation is.
The most useful thing the international community can do in this regard is to examine its own conscience.
The plundering of the site is to satisfy the antique market that continues to prosper in Europe and the United States.
Now, it is a reasonable assumption that any Egyptian artwork sold is either fake or robbed.
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