Opening the Lost Tombs: Live From Egypt

• Mara Greengrass
• Chris Andersen

Anyone who watched "Opening the Lost Tombs: Live From Egypt" will surely agree that Fox Television deserves an Honorable Mention for the Piltdown Prize (a humorous award given by me in the _Anthropology Newsletter_, published by the American Anthropological Association). This program was described by producers as "the Super Bowl of archaeology" and that's true. At least, it would be true if the Super Bowl misrepresented the work of football players, and brought out "scientists" who explained that football could never have been created without the help of benevolent aliens from Mars. In the words of Dave Barry, I am not making this up. Believe me, I couldn't make up stuff this funny!

Despite the good work of Egyptologists Zahi Hawass and Bob Brier, the show degenerated into a presentation of every wacko theory on Egypt I have ever heard, and even a few new ones. From the fawning profile of the vague prophecies of psychic healer Edgar Cayce to the sympathetic presentation on similarities with pyramids on Mars (huh?), "Opening the Tombs" was as scary a program as I've seen in years. Whether it was a curse or pyramid power, Fox destroyed any chance they might ever have had of being considered a serious news network, at least by me.

I have to agree with the unnamed Associated Press reporter (March 1, 1999) who wrote "Is there a hieroglyph for 'Please do not sacrifice us to the frisky network known for When Good Pets Go Bad?' Talk about being cursed."

"Opening the Lost Tombs" was an embarassment to archaeology, to Egyptology, and to television.

To Mr. Maury Povich and the Fox Network Board of Directors:

I watched your presentation "Opening the Lost Tombs: Live From Egypt", with Maury Povich, when it aired on Tuesday, March 2. I am unsure what the point of this show was supposed to be but as a professional archaeologist I was progressively embarassed, dismayed, disgusted, annoyed, angered, and appalled by this programme on all levels.

Despite the apparent good intentions of Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, and with the apparent blessing of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities, this show proved to be an embarassment both to them, to Egypt, and to archaeology as a whole. By taking advantage of every opportunity the show provided in order to trot out every hare-brained bit of pseudo-scientific claptrap to come down the pike from Edgar Cayce and Atlantis to the "face" on Mars, the Fox Network and Mr. Povich effectively dishonoured the ancient Egyptians who created these magnificent monuments and served only to add fuel to the fire of all the "New Agers" and other irrational cranks, crackpots, and "conspiracy theorists" who would rather believe in "X Files" than the often awe-inspiring accomplishments of our own ancestors. (To give Dr. Hawass his due, whenever Mr. Povich launched into one of his frequent sensationalist soliloquys, Dr. Hawass always attempted to bring things back to a rational level. Unfortunately, Mr. Povich rarely allowed him the opportunity.)

What's more, the manner in which the tombs were entered and "investigated" was clearly very thoroughly stage-managed, and very poorly even at that. Even my 10- and 13-year old sons could immediately tell that the mummy found in the wooden sarcophagus had been very recently placed there (any dust and dirt entering the sarcophagus will fall ON TOP of the contents of the box -- a mummy placed in a sarcophagus will not somehow acquire 15 cm of dirt UNDER it no matter how long it lies there). And with all due respect to Dr. Hawass, no archaeologist worthy of the title would have torn apart a newly-discovered sarcophagus with his bare hands just to see what was inside! This sorry performance was followed soon after by the appalling scene of your female reporter (whose name escapes me at the moment - I'm sorry) stomping around a stone sarcophagus in the Queen's tomb, all the while audibly crunching what turned out to be human bones beneath her feet - a fact which was confirmed for all the world to see by Dr. Hawass a bare few moments later. This broadcast performed a real disservice to the causes of archaeological exploration, cultural heritage preservation, and public education. And all for the sake of television ratings!

There is, however, a real and important story crying out to be told about the monuments of ancient Egypt. That is the sad tale of how many of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings are being heavily damaged or destroyed as a result of water seepage into the tombs resulting from the raising of the ground water table caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam, and how the great monuments and tombs in Cairo and Alexandria are imperilled by construction, the vibrations from heavy vehicular traffic, and by air pollution. The footsteps and even the respiration of visitors to many of the tombs and other great sites has caused and is causing irreparable damage to the very treasures the tourists come to see. And the tragedy is that the Egyptian government has little or no money available to preserve and protect, much less restore, these unique world heritage sites. This is the message that should have gone out to everyone who cares about history, art, and culture, not the sensationalistic trash that the Fox Network and Mr. Povich put out over the air. You should be deeply ashamed of yourselves.

Sincerely,

Chris J.-Andersen, M.A.
Archaeologist
Toronto, Canada

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