# Zahi Hawass resigns as Egypt's antiquities chief **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405 "2011-03-03T20:38:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/1 "2011-03-03T20:38:53Z")
Just read it in the NY Times: [http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/egyptian-antiquities-chief-resigns/?hp](http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/egyptian-antiquities-chief-resigns/?hp) Never thought he’d quit. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/2 "2011-03-03T20:40:33Z")
So he’s out on his Hawass? The guy has a reputation as a jerk and it sounds like he earned it, but it’s very unfortunate if Egypt’s antiquities are being looted and the current government isn’t able to do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/3 "2011-03-03T20:51:07Z")
These events are certainly not going to do the repatriation of antiquities movement any good … Anyway, no-one who was interested in Egyptology _wasn’t_ annoyed by Hawass. The man was basically Mubarak-writ-small - he lorded over the field as his personal fiefdom, and cultivated a sort of cult of personality (of which he lacked). When the AGO hosted the Tut exhibit, his face was in every video exhibit - and in the gift shop they were selling “Zahi Hawass Archaeologist” hats! Allegedly, it was part of the deal that brought the exhibit there (I don’t think they sold many though 😛 ) Of course, if the current regime can’t hold it together, we may be looking back on the era of Hawass as the good old days … shudder. ---
**Author:** ![Pantani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pantani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantani)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/4 "2011-03-03T21:26:47Z")
I’ve seen some of his excavation “techniques” on TV. Frankly, as some one with four years studing archaeology at University, I was horrified. It was just lets find the mummies and the impressive stuff we can put in the museum and lets do it as quickly as possible. Any other evidence gets thrown away. It looked like an excavation form the 19thC. Good ridance to the man. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/5 "2011-03-04T00:36:48Z")
What I read about him was much less one-sided than what is posted here. Even though he annoyed greatly foreign archeologists, there are also people who believe that he has been very effective in improving Egyptian archeology and that his authoritative attitude was much needed to bring a good dose of “law and order” in this field in Egypt. ETA : when I think of it, a period of relative chaos is precicely the moment when such a guy should be in charge. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/6 "2011-03-04T01:14:10Z")
I watched his show on Discovery last summer. He mentioned several times that he was ready to retire. He made his last trip to the very top of Tut’s pyramid. (A very difficult and exhausting hike). I guess the recent problems in Egypt pushed that time up. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/7 "2011-03-04T02:04:14Z")
So, first Hosni and now Zahi? Two dictators gone!!! Finally!!! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/8 "2011-03-04T02:22:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I watched his show on Discovery last summer. He mentioned several times that he was ready to retire. He made his last trip to the very top of Tut’s pyramid. (A very difficult and exhausting hike). I guess the recent problems in Egypt pushed that time up. **Tut’s** pyramid? Maybe you mean the Great Pyramid? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahi-hawass-resigns-as-egypts-antiquities-chief/573405/9 "2011-03-04T02:24:35Z")
that’s the one. 😉 The Great Pyramid. 😉 I couldn’t think of the name earlier. I have the Discovery show in 720p. The hi res video gives some amazing details inside the Pyramid.