Hawass is an embarrassment to the field of science, and it’s a shame that in order to get access to conduct real scientific work in Egypt one has to go through this Grand Vizier who requires kowtowing and pledges of allegiance to his cause, i.e. give me back the Egyptian antiquities.
As a matter of fact, if the British, Italians, Germans and French had not removed the antiquities in the past, they would have been sold to the highest (foreign) bidder, or smashed in one of the many periods of political turmoil in the country.
The irony is that Hawass claims to be working to further Egyptian archaeology and “native” research, but as has been pointed out, he is less that scientific in his approach to discoveries (incidentally, always made by others), and has actually decreased the reputation of Egyptian science.
He has a lucrative deal with Nat Geo. In return for millions of dollars he “allows” antiquities to be displayed abroad. Currently he is being prosecuted in Egypt for corruption, and it is uncertain whether he will be reinstated, or replaced with an equally corrupt government official from another regime.
Apparently, according to the post-revolution government, he was corrupt. According to his blog, his ouster was orchestated because he objected to new laws that would make artifact looting and sale easier, a law pushed in the assembly by opponents of his who were neck-deep in antiquities smuggling themselves.
Yes, he does seem to pop up everywhere.
BTW, our guide in Cairo and northern Egypt was light, could probably pass for southern Italian; our guide the south was maybe as dark as Obama, but had a distinctive round-faced look like most Egyptians. They call that sort “Nubian”, but it means the local tribes of the southern Egyptian Nile, not people from south of the Sahara.
Keep in mind the Nile is a very isolated place as far as mass migrations and mixing go.