Tag archives for Egypt
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What does it mean for a civilization to collapse? Are we destined to follow suit? Archaeologists working around the world conclude a week-long conference with their perspectives.
Why did ancient civilizations begin with the building of such huge monuments? Archaeologists working around the world share their reflections.
After days of presentations on five of the world’s great ancient civilizations, archaeologists from sites all around the world debate and discuss the meaning of civilization and what we can learn today from the lessons of the past.
Posted by On our radar today: The Cassini spacecraft has snapped a photo of an enormous hurricane raging on Saturn, a lost Egyptian city has been revealed in new photos and video, and…
Experts reveal recent discoveries and insights that help answer one of the great questions in archaeology: “Where did ancient Egyptian civilization come from?”
Posted by Dan Morrison’s book, The Black Nile, chronicles his journey along the Nile River from its source at Lake Victoria to its mouth 3,600 miles later at the Mediterranean Sea. National Geographic News Watch interviews him about his journey and his travel writing.
Posted by A few years back, Gianluca Serra found a legendary bird thought extinct in Syria, with funds from National Geographic’s Committee for Research and Exploration. Now Serra is trying to forge a stable population of these ungainly creatures, with a little help from a prince and some first ladies. By Barbara Moffet Q: The northern bald…
By Andrew Bossone Alexandria, Egypt–Social media’s influence on revolution is a hot issue in the press and also among young people. When Egypt’s interim Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq recently stepped down from his post, the announcement came out not on television or in a press conference, but on Facebook. The Supreme Council of the Armed…
Posted today on the blog of Zahi Hawass, former Egyptian Minister of Antiquity Affairs: Q: Dr. Hawass, for many years you have been the image of modern Egyptology. Why are you leaving now? A: “I am leaving because of a variety of important reasons. The first reason is that, during the Revolution of January 25th,…
Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Minister of State for Antiquity Affairs, will not accept a post in the new Egyptian government, The New York Times reported today. According to The Times, Egypt’s prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, resigned Thursday, and the army asked his replacement, Essam Sharaf, to form a caretaker cabinet. “If the government will ask me…
By Andrew Bossone Alexandria, Egypt–This year’s Annual Arab Youth Summit at the Library of Alexandria in Egypt was sure to be different in the wake of the Egyptian revolution. This was clear from the opening session. Organizers noted it excluded the former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Hani Hilal, who had inaugurated the…
Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina seeks to recapture the spirit of the original ancient Library of Alexandria, while aspiring to be a leading institution of the digital age — a center for learning, tolerance, dialogue and understanding. National Geographic News Watch contributor Andrew Bossone attended the Annual Arab Youth Summit at the Library this past weekend, an…
Posted by Before succumbing to her legendary death-by-snake in 30 B.C., Cleopatra VII, last queen of Egypt, gave birth to twins. Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene II were born in 40 B.C., two of the eight children sired by Roman general Mark Antony during his lifetime. As it happens, the asteroid 216 Kleopatra also had twins: Two…
Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Minister of State for Antiquity Affairs, said on his blog today that accusations against him of inappropriate or even illegal behavior had convinced him to stay in office, “so that I can continue to do everything in my power to protect Egypt’s cultural heritage.” Hawass added: “I have written to Egypt’s attorney…
Announced today by Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities Affairs: Today, Dr. Zahi Hawass, Minister of Antiquities Affairs, announced that the missing limestone statue of King Akhenaten, the father of Tutankhamun, has been returned to the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Museum The statue is one of the unique statues…
Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Minister of State for Antiquity Affairs, said today that tombs in Saqqara and Abusir and storage areas in Saqqara and other archaeological sites had been broken into during the recent political turmoil in the country. There had also been reports of illegal excavations and land invasion, he added. His statement confirms numerous…
FOX News foreign correspondent Dominic Di-Natale was in the thick of covering the developing crisis in Egypt for more than a week. He was one of FOX’s first correspondents dispatched to Egypt where he covered protests, clashes between groups supporting and opposing the Mubarak government, and breaking news as tensions continued to rise. News Watch…
Posted today on the official website of Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs: Dr. Zahi Hawass, Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, announced today that a committee of archaeologists completed a preliminary search of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo and its grounds. The missing Heart Scarab of Yuya was recovered on the west…
News organizations report that more than a hundred demonstrators gathered outside the Cairo office of Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities, demanding jobs. “Not since Indiana Jones have archaeologists seemed quite so belligerent,” Sky News reported on its website. A protester, center-left, and an army soldier policing the protest, center-right, gesture to about 150 graduates…
Update February 13, 2011: Photos of missing Tutankhamun statues added. Two gilded statues of King Tutankhamun and figures of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti are among eight important artifacts (18 individual pieces) missing from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, said on his blog today. The disappearance was discovered when museum staff…
UPDATED: Photos of missing artifacts Posted By David Braun Posted today on the blog of Egypt’s antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass: The staff of the database department at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo have given me their report on the inventory of objects at the museum following the break in. Sadly, they have discovered objects are missing…
A soldier guards one of Saqqara’s tombs; Jeffrey Bartholet On January 29, looters swarmed into the archaeological site of Saqqara, an ancient burial ground known for its pyramids and many surrounding tombs. Reports circulated about damage to the tombs and their beautiful reliefs. “All the sites are safe,” said Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass. “Nothing…
Willeke Wendrich, professor of Egyptian archaeology and digital humanities at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles, answers questions about the volatile situation in Egypt. She has received three grants from the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration to investigate agricultural sites from the Neolithic period in Egypt’s…
The following statement by Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s new Minister of Antiquities and head of “a newly created department that will be charged with the care and protection of all Egyptian monuments and museums,” was posted today on ZahiHawass.com. Hawass is also a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. By Zahi Hawass I would like to tell the people,…
The United Nations appealed to Egypt today to protect its cultural heritage, the news agency Reuters reported. “The appeal by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) came as protesters demanding the departure of President Hosni Mubarak mounted the biggest street demonstration since the uprising began a week ago,” Reuters said. “I solemnly…
