Zahi Hawass

Dr. Zahi Hawass (born Damietta, Egypt, on 28 May 1947) is one of the world's foremost Egyptologists and, in recent years, has gained international renown in non-archaeological circles through his frequent appearances in television documentaries pertaining to early Egyptian civilization.

He is currently the Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities; prior to that, he was the Director of the Giza Plateau and has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert, and the Upper Nile Valley.

Hawass is currently spearheading a movement to return many prominent Ancient Egyptian artifacts, such as the Rosetta Stone, to Egypt from collections around the globe in which they are in safekeeping. In July 2003, the Egyptians demanded the return of the Rosetta Stone. Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo told the press "If the British want to be remembered, if they want to restore their reputation, they should volunteer to return the stone because it is the icon of our Egyptian identity."

He is also a vocal opponent of ancient astronauts theories about a previous worldwide civilization. He appeared on a History Channel show to dispel the theories, and provided evidence to show that the Egyptians built the Egyptian pyramids.