By Zahi Hawass I do not understand what else I can do. All my life I have worked very hard and have always tried to do good things for my country and for antiquities. Before I became secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, archaeology in Egypt was a bit like Raiders of the Lost Ark: there were no rules. Everyone was free to do anything they wanted. Everyone was in a position to announce their own discoveries, whether true or false. Since 2002, I have implemented a series of rules for archaeological expeditions to follow. Recently I read an article written in the New York Times that demonstrated to me how little some people understand what I do. I am not referring to the reporter who wrote the article, but more so about the Egyptian reporter who gathered people's opinions. This article indicated to me that I need to address some of the issues raised in it, and to share my point of view. There are always people who enjoy criticising everything, but they never offer any good solutions in return. For the last 200 years, foreign teams have been undertaking all the archaeological work in Egypt. We Egyptians, on the other hand, were serving them. There were very few Egyptian scholars who ran their own projects, and these were often minor. Today, however, Egyptian missions conduct important archaeological excavation and restoration projects that are recognised all over the world. My principal goal as secretary- general is to promote both ancient and modern Egypt -- and in doing so to protect our past and to improve our future. The article in the New York Times quotes several of the criticisms that are sometimes aimed at me, and therefore I would like to clarify a few points: The reason that I am the person who makes all the announcements concerning newly-discovered antiquities in Egypt is that this is my official responsibility as head of the SCA. Egyptian law decrees that I, as secretary-general, am the one to report all new archaeological finds in Egypt. It is an important part of my job to make sure that all information released is correct, and to prevent the dissemination of false or misleading news or speculation. However, I am always careful to give credit where credit is due. When I announce the discoveries made by foreign expeditions and Egyptian missions other than my own, I always credit archaeologists and their expeditions for their own discoveries. I do not enjoy announcing other archaeologists' discoveries, but an official announcement brings credibility to the find. In terms of taking credit for my own discoveries -- of course I do. I choose the projects that I direct based on a variety of theories of ideas, and, like all expedition directors, have many assistants who work under my supervision. At Saqqara, for example, I have had more than 50 assistants since I began excavations there in 1988. Journalists are not permitted to visit my excavations and discuss my work with any of my assistants. So it is true that in announcements concerning my own excavations, I am the one credited --- because I am the director of the mission, and this is always the case. It would be unfair and unreasonable to do otherwise, and those who say the opposite are jealous and resentful. However, I am always careful to mention the members of my team as well. If anyone has read any of my books then they know that I always make a point of acknowledging the efforts and the contributions of my colleagues and team members. I cannot, however, be responsible for what members of the media report in their programmes and articles. I would also like to address the issue of my interpretation of KV 63. I did theorise initially that it might be the tomb of King Tut's mother, whom at the time I thought, like many Egyptologists, could possibly be identified as a minor wife of Akhenaten's named Kiya. After continuing to follow the results of the excavations, I agreed with the conclusions of Schaden and his team, namely that KV 63 had ultimately been used for the storage of mummification materials; I still think that the tomb might originally have been carved for an Amarna-period woman and later usurped. In any case, as a scholar, I have the right to share my ideas, whether or not they are liked and indeed whether or not they turn out to be correct. Archaeology in Egypt has been thriving since the landing of Napoleon and his French troops. I am not the first person, and will surely not be the last, to conduct an archaeological excavation of a tomb that was "sealed for eternity" 2,500 years ago. But it is my great privilege to have the opportunity to explore the fascinating realm of ancient Egypt, and to share my passion with the world.
