latest pyramid "discovery"

[Kathryn Michel]

A lot has been written lately about the location of a pyramid probably of a queen, not a pharaoh. In connection with this the New York Times had an interesting article talking about the realization of the common people of Egypt that their pharaonic history is and will continue to be a source of income for the average person. So many people depend on working in all phases of tourism and any new discoveries will hopefully bring in more people. This is an interesting slant in view of two factors. One is the fact that it is incredibly difficult for the average tourise like me to get to any of these sites. Even the latest discovery at Saqqara is at present totally inaccessible to all but those who are working there. A tourist may want to visit it but archaeologists and the site police will block entrance. I have visited almost all of the remote pyramid sites and ruins out of Cairo and a few elsewhere. The other factor is the expense in visiting these sites. This means I was willing to pay for a guide, driver and a 4wd vehicle, not at all cheap, and ask for permission from the Almighty Zahi to do so. Even with permission signed by Zahi himself I have had trouble leaving the main tourist sites to drive off to find these sites and only do so if I have a guide who is willing to argue with the site police. The whole area in theory is open to anyone who can obtain the transportation to visit it. But in practice it is mostly the archaeologist who are so afraid that someone will get in and take pictures and publish something about the site that site police are instructed to keep people out even with permission from the Department of Antiquities. It will be interesting when the speaker from AIA who will talk about one of these sites comes in I believe March. The archaeologists working at this site have greatly inconvenienced me several times as someone visiting El Kab is forbidden to even cross the road and look down on the site. And on my last visit to Vulture Rock, a pre-pharaonic rock art site I almost was not allowed to visit the site and had to be taken way out of the way and by an alternative road and was accompanied by several site police. Ordinarily Vulture Rock is about a mile or two from El Kab and as there is no work being done there, should be open to anyone who wants to visit the area. When I do this sort of thing, the site police (one person) who accompanies me for my protection is given a large tip, probably comparable or more than what he would make all day. But when I am hassled and must be accompanied by four officials and then taken way out of the way, and told that I could only be there for ten minutes or so, no extra tips are given.

It is interesting if according to Zahi and others the discoveries of new pyramids etc. will indeed bring in more tourists and help the people make more money from tourists or if the archaeologists who are working on these sites succeed in preventing anyone who wants to spend the money necessary to reach them from seeing them until they have published, given papers etc about the site.

[Elizabeth Griesman]

Zahi believes this pyramid is that of Sesheset, mother of King Teti, first king of the 6th Dynasty. They hope to reach the burial chamber within two weeks. The pyramid was buried uner 25 ft. of sand.