# 15-Year-Old Chinese Tourist Carves His Name on 3500-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463 "2013-05-27T15:08:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/1 "2013-05-27T15:08:01Z")
[Story here.](http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/27/travel/china-egypt/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) I guess this kid was hoping his stunt would immortalize his name. In a just world, he _would_ be remembered for the rest of his life as “that asshole who defaced an irreplaceable part of human history.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/2 "2013-05-27T15:11:39Z")
In return, Egypt should get to carve its name in him. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/3 "2013-05-27T15:13:58Z")
I’m glad he’s not an American. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/4 "2013-05-27T15:19:17Z")
Maybe he was giving l’hommage to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather who was building those pyramids in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/5 "2013-05-27T15:19:54Z")
I’m not big fan of China, but I gotta say that the collective shame is kind of…admirable? I mean, on one hand it’s totally irrational and hive-mindish. But dang, I bet that kind of pressure keeps potential jackasses in line. And dang, that boy sure went to town on that sculpture! I hope there’s some way they can repair it. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/6 "2013-05-27T15:54:44Z")
His parents say that he’s learned his lesson but that sounds like a cop-out. What did they do? Take his phone away for a month? I mean, isn’t he facing ANY sort of criminal charges in Egypt at all? I can’t imagine they’d just look the other way for something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/7 "2013-05-27T15:58:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Story here.](http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/27/travel/china-egypt/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) > > I guess this kid was hoping his stunt would immortalize his name. In a just world, he _would_ be remembered for the rest of his life as “that asshole who defaced an irreplaceable part of human history.” Everyone remembers Herostratus… ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/8 "2013-05-27T16:00:45Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > In return, Egypt should get to carve its name in him. In Communist China… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/9 "2013-05-27T16:02:01Z")
I hope it turns the kid into a modern day Abu Hasan. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/10 "2013-05-27T16:29:29Z")
I’m kind of bewildered as to how he was left unattended for so long. Looking at the picture: he didn’t carve that grafitti in 15 seconds or so; it took a while. ---
**Author:** ![what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/what_do_I_type_here)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/11 "2013-05-27T16:45:36Z")
Arrogant insect hive people. The sad part is that there are so many of them, they’ll probably destroy us. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/12 "2013-05-27T16:58:21Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Everyone remembers Herostratus… Who? ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/13 "2013-05-27T17:05:10Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > Maybe he was giving l’hommage to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather who was building those pyramids in the first place? What have you been smoking this week? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/14 "2013-05-27T17:22:29Z")
That’s nothing. An ancient Mayan pyramid in Belize was [recently bulldozed by a construction company for road gravel.](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130515-belize-pyramid-destroyed-archeology-maya-nohmul-world-road/) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/15 "2013-05-27T17:34:18Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Who? Herostratus Fucking Malmsteen, that’s who. (I believe the name is a stand-in for someone who commits a crime to become famous. And insane guitar shredding.) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/16 "2013-05-27T17:58:37Z")
While I deplore the defacing of a 3500 monument, I have to say he’s hardly the first tourist to carve his name on something, we’ve collectively been making marks on things since before we invented writing. I can’t support his actions but it’s a very human thing to do and 15 year olds from any culture are frequently impulsive and do stupid/bad stuff. Which is why tourists of all ages need to be supervised around ancient monuments and art and strategically placed crowd-control devices are an asset. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/17 "2013-05-27T18:00:19Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’m kind of bewildered as to how he was left unattended for so long. Looking at the picture: he didn’t carve that grafitti in 15 seconds or so; it took a while. Sadly, that doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m more surprised when parents actually reign in their kids on vacation. We have a problem with graffiti and tagging in my neighbourhood; a couple of weeks ago, I tweeted that taggers have been scientifically proven to have tiny little dicks. I think we should turn that into “common knowledge.” ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/18 "2013-05-27T18:27:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > While I deplore the defacing of a 3500 monument, I have to say he’s hardly the first tourist to carve his name on something, we’ve collectively been making marks on things since before we invented writing. I can’t support his actions but it’s a very human thing to do and 15 year olds from any culture are frequently impulsive and do stupid/bad stuff. [Indeed](http://www.maeshowe.co.uk/maeshowe/runes.html). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/19 "2013-05-27T19:10:51Z")
[Indeed, too.](http://www.pompeiana.org/resources/ancient/graffiti%20from%20pompeii.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463/20 "2013-05-27T22:46:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Beat him like the family mule.~~Dr Hunter S. Thompson On the other hand, at least it wasn’t an American kid that did it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/15-year-old-chinese-tourist-carves-his-name-on-3500-year-old-egyptian-tomb/659463.md?page=2)