Monday, 25 May 2026
Egyptologist Zahi Hawass clashes with alternative‑history theorists on Piers Morgan show
Egypt’s former antiquities chief Zahi Hawass engaged in a heated on‑air confrontation with three prominent alternative‑history researchers during a widely watched episode of “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” broadcast from London this week.
Piers Morgan opened the programme by praising Hawass as “the real Indiana Jones,” calling him one of the world’s leading authorities on the Giza Plateau. But he also noted that critics accuse Hawass of acting as an academic “gatekeeper” who dismisses unconventional theories about the pyramids.
The debate pitted Hawass against Jimmy Corsetti, Michael Botton and Timothy Alberino, who argue that ancient Egypt conceals evidence of lost civilisations or advanced non‑human influence. Hawass rejected those claims and insisted that decades of archaeological work on the plateau leave no space for speculation.
Hawass said he and American archaeologist Mark Lehner had spent nearly 50 years excavating “every grain of sand” at Giza. He noted that both scholars recently published a 1,000‑page volume detailing discoveries inside and around the Great Pyramid, which he said provides a comprehensive scientific account of its construction.
Hawass added that new research inside the Great Pyramid will begin in June, led by a British scientific team using non‑invasive technologies including ultrasound and infrared scanning. The work will focus on a recently identified 30‑metre passage ending in a sealed door. “I still believe the true burial chamber of King Khufu lies behind these doors,” he said.
During the programme, researcher Timothy Alberino offered to deploy drone‑mounted deep‑penetration radar to scan the Khafre pyramid for hidden voids. Hawass said he was open to collaboration pending technical review by Egyptian experts and approval from security authorities and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Hawass also dismissed claims raised by Corsetti regarding the Osiris Shaft and the empty stone sarcophagus found inside it. He said the discovery had been fully published and that the symbolic burial reflected ancient beliefs about the god Osiris. “We are not hiding anything,” he said, urging critics to consult the academic literature.
He rejected Botton’s suggestion of a second Sphinx or a vast underground city beneath Giza, saying extensive excavations had revealed only solid bedrock and no archaeological or geological evidence for such structures.
As proof of pyramid construction by ancient Egyptians, Hawass cited the Wadi al‑Jarf papyri, which document the transport of fine limestone blocks by workers serving King Khufu. He said the pyramids were a national project built by thousands of Egyptians, as shown by the workers’ tombs near the site.
Hawass ended the programme by renewing his international campaign to repatriate major Egyptian artefacts, including the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, the bust of Nefertiti from Berlin, and the Dendera Zodiac from the Louvre. He invited Piers Morgan and singer Robbie Williams to visit Egypt “to see the wonders of ancient civilisation firsthand.”