* Interview with Dr Hawass about his resignation:
http://www.drhawass.com/blog/why-dr-hawass-resigned
"(..)
Q: What are the conditions under which you would come back to
lead the Ministry of Antiquities?
A: "I will come back if there is stability in the sites and if there is
police, as it was before, to protect the sites. (..)"
Press report on it:
<http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/03/zahi-hawass-resigns/1>
"(..) In a note emailed to USA TODAY on Saturday, Hawass
confirmed his resignation (..) "Most importantly, however, is
that there are not enough police to protect the sites. I hope that
my resignation will put pressure on the government to do
something about this and also encourage the international
community to do so as well. (..) Hawass, 63, says, "I do not
have concrete plans for the future yet. I am still thinking about
what I should do." "
* The Tal al-Farain antiquities storehouse in Kafr al-Sheikh was
attacked by more than 40 armed men on Saturday:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/340058
"(...) Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud--head of the central administration
for the Antiquities of Lower Egypt and the Delta--said the armed
men managed to break open the door of the storehouse, rifled
through its contents and broke some boxes of artifacts. Guards
and archaeologists managed to detain some of the criminals, while
the rest fled. A committee was formed to determine what the stolen
items are. (..) Meanwhile, residents have built illegally on the Zoleen
heritage site in Sharqia.(..)"
Similar press reports:
<http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE7240E820110305>
<http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/6/worldupdates/2011-03-06T120341Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-553537-1&sec=Worldupdates>
* Czech interview with Prof Miroslav Bárta, about the
situation in Abusir:
<http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/svet/zpravy/cesti-archeologove-nasli-lokalitu-v-egypte-dost-ponicenou/604770>
The site in Abusir where the Czech mission has been excavating
was damaged during the unrest: there have been a few dozen
illegal excavations at various places in the tombs and burial pits,
and thieves got into the storehouse (during which artefacts
were thrown on the ground and trampled, the inventory ending up
in disarray; some items seem to have disappeared).
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