14 - 20 February 2002
Issue No.573
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 14 - 20 February 2002 Issue No.573 |
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Dig days
Dancing with Tomb Robbers (5)
The stories of tomb robberies are amazing but tragic. The robbers do not know that by cutting the reliefs and stealing the antiquities they are damaging history.
Tomb robbers have even plagued the site of Saqqara, which contains the magnificent Step Pyramid built by the Pharaoh Djoser's architect Imhotep. Once robbers cut reliefs from a tomb, entered the Saqqara storeroom and stole some papyri. At a recent lecture I gave at the British Museum in London, I met my dear friend Vivian Davies, the head of the Egyptian Section at the Museum, and his wife Renée. Davies told me a very interesting story about some stolen papyri from Saqqara which turned up in London. He said that a man came and presented him with a copy of a papyrus written in demotic.
The British Museum team knew immediately that this was a famous papyrus discovered by the British expedition at Saqqara, and was one of the items stolen from the storeroom. Davies told this man that he needed to see the original to give him a scientific opinion and authenticity. Two days later, the Englishman returned with the papyrus and was caught red-handed by Scotland Yard inspectors, who, in turn, informed the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
I remembered that the chief of the Saqqara inspectors had been removed and replaced by another man whom I did not trust. The police found that this man was involved in the theft, and the court handed down a prison sentence. Later, we appointed an honest man to the job and put Saqqara in order.
I could tell you many stories taken from my diary about my encounters with tomb robbers, but today I will relate two interesting cases that happened early in my career. When I was 21 years old, I was the antiquities inspector accompanying the Italian archaeological expedition working at Sheikh Abada under the direction of Sirgio Donadoni. One day, thieves entered the expedition's camp and stole a large box of antiquities. It was a shock to us all, and we felt helpless. But it occurred to me not to call the police, and instead try to solve this mysterious crime and recover the box.
I found out that the mayor of the village was a very powerful man, and I thought he could help solve the mystery. I met him and told him: "I know you know who stole the box, and if you do not return it within an hour I will inform the police that you were behind the theft." The mayor said he would see what he could do. An hour later, he arrived with the stolen box on the back of the donkey. He said, "I brought it back not because I was afraid of the police, but because I liked your courage as a young man." Donadoni was very happy. That night we ate mulukhia with rabbit to celebrate.
Another interesting story connected with tomb robbers happened when I was inspector of antiquities at Tuna Al-Gebel in Middle Egypt. Early one morning, at about four o'clock, I received a telephone call from the chief of the police in Malawi. He needed me urgently, he said, and was sending a car to pick me up. I asked what was going on? But the colonel said, "You'll see when you get here."
When we reached our destination I found myself in front of a house in the village of Al-Ashmonien. The scene inside it was something I shall never forget. A man about 50 years old, his wife and three children were digging in the courtyard. As we arrived. they had unearthed pieces of statues and a lamp. When we took him to prison, the man was very angry and said: "I am digging in my house, and these antiquities are the treasure of my ancestors who left them to me. I have not committed a crime!"
On investigation, we learned that the man was selling the artefacts to a man in the village who was the chief of the guards, and that this man had become a millionaire by selling them on to dealers. While we were at the office of the chief of police in Mallawi, I met the man and was sickened when I saw that the rings he wore on his fingers were made of gold scarabs. I told him he had better watch out. He did not understand my comment. "What do you mean?" he asked. I said, "If the police don't catch you, the curse of the Pharaohs will be upon you!"
Three months later, the chief of police called me to say the curse of the Pharaohs had actually claimed the chief guard. He had died when the car he was driving crashed just three kilometres outside the town of Maghagha.
When the police examined the car, they found an incredible treasure inside. Statues, necklaces, earrings and some other beautiful gold artefacts were stashed in the trunk. He was planning to sell these priceless objects to an antiquities dealer in Cairo, but the curse of the Pharaohs didn't let him.
I have many more stories written in my notebook about dancing with tomb robbers.
To be continued...
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