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NOVEMBER
2005
Dear Colleagues:
As you all know, since I have begun my tenure as the Secretary General of
the SCA, we have enforced a number of new rules, designed for the benefit
of Egyptian archaeology and therefore to help and protect all of us. For
example, we have limited new excavations in Upper Egypt, encouraging
everyone to focus instead on conservation, preservation, and recording, or
to shift their work to the Delta.
Some of the new rules are meant to improve the relationships between
Egyptian archaeologists and you, their foreign colleagues. For example, we
have asked you to use some of your funds to pay specifically-designated
bonuses to your inspectors. These young men and women must leave their
homes to come and work with you, and their expenses need to be covered.
However, you should all know that I absolutely will not tolerate any sort
of bribery or extortion. Over the last month, I heard rumors that foreign
colleagues are complaining about SCA employees. Evidently, people have
asked them for money in inappropriate contexts, not approved by the SCA.
This information has come to me second-hand, and I do not know any of the
details.
This is unacceptable. I am very upset about this, because all of you
should know that you should come straight to me if anything like this ever
happens to you. You must know that I will stop any behavior like this
immediately. The new rules are to protect both everyone, not just
Egyptians, but foreign archaeologists as well. If anyone is allowed to get
away with corrupt behavior once, he or she is more likely to do it again,
and we all lose.
In the future, come to me immediately. I will listen to you, and I will
act. I should not hear about rumors later that I can do nothing about. As
I have already done twice in the past, I will punish those who make such
mistakes. If you are good, clean, and honest, you will not be hurt. My
rules are to protect everyone.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Zahi Hawass
Secretary General, Supreme Council of Antiquities
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