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different idea and not releasing it through his office. Finally, when interviewed about geologist Robert In 2008, Professor Barry Kemp reported on his — Schoch's theory that the Sphinx is much older than the research at the city of Amarna, created by the rebel the pyramids, Hawass stated: "If geologists prove what pharaoh Akhenaten. The pharaoh was obviously — Schoch is saying, still in my opinion, as an Egyptologist, despised and, in the decades following his death, the the date of the Sphinx is clear to us."” In short, no ancient Egyptians tried to remove any mention of his matter what the evidence, Hawass claims it is all "clear" existence. It was reported that Kemp and his team to him. It is clear that for Hawass, Egyptology is a found skeletal remains at Amarna that show "signs of _ religion, not a science. Many would agree that this is malnutrition, extreme labour, and the lowest age of _ indeed the case for "Egyptology under Hawass", and mortality witnessed at excavations of Pharaonic sites".'" _ they desperately want change. This evidence goes a long way to confirm that Akhenaten Egyptology under Challenge created a brutal regime, one of Though Hawass can and which few were proud. should be blamed for many However he findings were Egyptologists prefer to things, it is equally a matter o immediately subjected to _ ; ; record that Egyptology as a criticism from Hawass, who argue despite evidence science is seriously in need o used the Egyptian state news that proves otherwise— spring-cleaning. It migh service to accuse the excavators that the pyramids are but perhaps come as a surprise to of “distorting history". He b learn that since c. 1840 the claimed that their findings were tombs. paradigm of Egyptian history "not based on any admissible scientific proofs" and added that "[bJuilding Akhenaten city has remained firmly in place. Serious scientific evidence has often been put aside to was an obsession for ancien maintain a dogma, and Hawass Egyptians like the Giza Pyramids and workers wanted to and many other "scientists" are religiously sticking to it. realise a national achievement to be proud of". Hawass, In 1984, 85 samples were taken from the Giza Plateau, by his comments, was later described as "indulging in including five from the Sphinx, which were submitted for empty chauvinism".” carbon-dating. The results showed dates from 3809 to Hawass is also proud that he "worked to strengthen 2869 BC. It meant that the accepted Egyptian Egypt's antiquities law” and that in 2002 he “worked to chronology for the building of the Giza pyramids was have a new law enacted forbidding excavation in Upper out by 200 to 1,200 years. Bauval quotes Mark Lehner: Egypt...to encourage documentation and preservation "The Giza pyramid is 400 years earlier than rather than excavation". Indeed, Hawass is proud of —_ Egyptologists believe." the fact that he has stopped all excavations in Upper Equally, in the 1950s, Zakaria Goneim, then Chief Egypt! One can only wonder why. No one will argue Inspector of Egyptian Antiquities, found the inviolate that documentation and preservation are important, but sarcophagus of Third Dynasty pharaoh Sekhemkhet to the exclusion of everything else—and to make it a inside his pyramid. When the sarcophagus was opened, law, rather than just an internal guideline? there was no mummy inside. It was an empty sarcophagus. In this case, "grave robbers" could definitely not be | blamed. In fact, in many instances, including with the Great Pyramid, Egyptologists have identified grave robbery as the reason for an empty sarcophagus. If it were a crime scene investigation, few detectives would reach a similar conclusion based upon the available evidence. Egyptology, in fact, looks with disdain upon ancient records such as those of the first century BC historian Diodorus Siculus, who wrote that not a single pharaoh was buried in a pyramid which he had constructed for himself, but that the pharaohs were buried instead in a secret place. wee ae me “Femervilfe = Finally, when interviewed about geologist Robert Schoch's theory that the Sphinx is much older than the the pyramids, Hawass stated: "If geologists prove what Schoch is saying, still in my opinion, as an Egyptologist, the date of the Sphinx is clear to us."” In short, no matter what the evidence, Hawass claims it is all "clear" to him. It is clear that for Hawass, Egyptology is a religion, not a science. Many would agree that this is indeed the case for "Egyptology under Hawass", and they desperately want change. Egyptologists prefer to argue—despite evidence that proves otherwise— that the pyramids are but tombs. 48 ¢ NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com AUGUST — SEPTEMBER 2009