Call it the original pyramid scheme: The systematic looting of ancient Egyptian treasures between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. That's when foreign Egyptologists, some with the help of local tomb raiders, made important finds, and promptly ushered them out of Egypt. The goods, everything from gold coins to mummified remains, landed in the hands of private dealers and in the permanent collections of major museums.
Now, not all archaeological excavations have been illegal, and many have advanced what we know about the ancient world. But in recent years, the Egyptian government has stepped up its efforts to recover ill-gotten artifacts, and it's calling on the international community to help. Zahi Hawass, the man in charge of Egypt's antiquities, is leading that hunt.
Dr. Zahi Hawass will be signing books in the Remis Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Wedneday from 10:30 am to noon. For tickets, or information, call 617-369-3770, or click the link below.
