*Disclaimer: this blog post reflects my personal opinion, and not the opinions of any institution that I am associated with. All sources will be cited as available. Please feel free to research on your own, and respond with your own opinion...that's what a dialogue is about!*
There has been some interesting news within the realm of Egyptology this past week. It appears that Zahi Hawass, Antiquities Minister for Egypt has been fired from his position (see this NY Times/AP article for more information). Hawass is a popular fixture in American documentaries, articles and press on Egyptian archaeology. He has faced much criticism in the antiquities community for his apparent desire for fame and fortune. There has also been many protests with the ousting of Mubarak that Hawass should be ousted too. The apparent thought presented during these protests is that Hawass is a Mubarak appointee who is a friend of Mubarak (and thus should be also ousted), does not have the best interests of Egyptology in mind and, basically, there is no need for his cabinet position anyway.
Another blog I read (Archaeopop) cites an AP report about Hawass' "trademark Indiana Jones hat" as well as his clothing line and many other public/profit-making ties. According to this author (and many other commentators out there), Hawass has styled himself as the real life Indiana Jones.
The newest report, as of today, is that Zahi Hawass will remain antiquities minister....for the time being (The Art Newspaper). There is still a lot of controversy surrounding Mr. Hawass. How close is he to Mubarak? Is he impartial? Does he have the best interests of Egyptology and Egyptian sites and artifacts in mind?
In my opinion, he is most certainly a charismatic and interesting figure in popular Egyptology. He brings a sense of adventure and life to real-life archaeology. He has made himself and many Egyptian sites available to popular media. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? On one hand, it brings attention to the need for conservation, cautious exploration and the preservation of ancient sites, and artifacts. Hawass has been vocal about returning Egyptian artifacts back to Egypt (there are many, many artifacts in museums in other nations due to the way archaeology was practiced many years ago), which I believe is important. He also makes archaeology interesting for the lay person.
On the other hand, is he focusing too much on PR and outreach and not enough of the integrity and ethics of archaeology and Egyptology? Is he really just a political appointee who will continue to advocate for the way things used to be under Mubarak? Or is Hawass a man who can adapt, change and play to the strengths of his government and field? All this, I can not say. I do know that I will be following his tale as it unfolds.
