Archaeology at risk

A thriving market for antiquities in the west is behind the looting of Egypt’s heritage, says Barry Kemp, who describes the fraught situation on the ground

Where is your dig site?

I work at Amarna, the short-lived capital built by “heretic” pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BC. The site is a beautiful stretch of desert, bordered by high cliffs. We are working to map, excavate and repair the ancient buildings.

How did you hear about Egypt’s uprisings?

On Saturday 29 January we received a police order to close down. We packed up our equipment on Sunday and most of the expedition was evacuated to Cairo on Monday. I and one other team member stayed behind.

What steps did you take to protect Amarna?

Because of attacks on archaeological sites elsewhere in Egypt, the police asked us to block the entrances to our storerooms. Workmen built a wall of limestone blocks across the iron doors, covering the main one with cement so it appears impregnable. On 5 February we finally travelled to Cairo, where I live. As we drove through the western desert, life seemed to be proceeding as normal, although the trains were not running.


What was it like when you got back to Cairo?

The traffic was busy, shops and petrol stations were open. On 10 February I went to the office of the Supreme Council of Antiquities to ask permission to restart our excavations. The gates were locked and guarded, but a side door allowed me in, and I obtained the permission. The journey home led through Tahrir Square, the focal point for the protests. The pavements were thronged with demonstrators but there was no aggressive behaviour, just quiet determination. On 28 February I travelled back to Amarna.

What did you find when you got back to Amarna?

Thankfully we found no signs of looting. The police here are cautious, however, and it is taking time to secure their agreement to restart our excavations. I’m optimistic that I can obtain full agreement very soon, so the archaeologists now arriving in Cairo can proceed on their way here.

What research are you doing this season?

We want to return to excavating the city’s cemetery and studying the skeletons: an alarming picture of stressful life is emerging. We will also be running a programme to repair one of Akhenaten’s buildings, the North Palace.

How serious is looting at other sites across the country?

Archaeological sites are normally protected by the Tourist and Antiquities Police. All branches of internal security seem to have been disrupted and in the atmosphere of uncertainty the wolves have come out. The main targets of robbers are the antiquities storerooms. It is impossible to know at the moment how bad the overall situation is.

The most useful thing the international community can do about this is to examine its conscience. The looting of sites is done to satisfy the market in antiquities, which continues to flourish in Europe and the US. It is now a reasonable assumption that any Egyptian piece that is for sale is either fake or was looted.