Zahi Hawass - 'Look after that Obelisk, New York - Or I'll take it back..'

This would make an incredible graduate studies conservation project. Why a university hasn't set up a partnership with one of the major museums is inexplicable and a missed opportunity to conserve this priceless treasure while giving students a chance of a lifetime to work in their field without having to obtain the grant monies to travel to Egypt.

Egypt & Hawass will be the downfall of western classical archaeology. Once they get back most of the artifacts they will shut out the west.

my boss knows Hawass, says he's an asshole.

I wouldn't necessarily say it's the 'downfall of western classical archaeology', but they will want more and more artefacts returned, true.

and it's not just Egypt - Many countries are wanting their artefacts back. It's going to be big news soon.

Well they do belong to the countries of orgin

Hawass likes publicity. Maybe something good will come of this and the obelisk will be conserved as it should have been in the first place.

YES-NO-MAYBE......maybe all this stuff simply belongs to the world

tell arab robbers to give back Egypt to Copts first and then we will see...

Looks like we're going to have a showdown..

[link to www.livescience.com]

When asked about Hawass' concern that the obelisk wasn't being well taken care of, Vickie Carp, director of public affairs for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation told LiveScience, "that's not true."

A statement from Jonathan Kuhn, director of Art and Antiquities for the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation states: "We have been working in recent years with the Metropolitan Museum and the Central Park Conservancy to further analyze the condition of the obelisk and monitor its condition. There is no evidence at this point of any significant ongoing erosion."