Sunday, January 24, 1999.

Freja Ludvigsen

THE QUEEN ATTENDS PYRAMID MEETING

Queen Margrethe has been briefed, being one of the
first, on a new, sensational grave find in the area
between two of the pyramids of Egypt.

It happened when, as a private individual, she
appeared in Dansk Industri's pyramid-shaped glass
hall, at a lecture held by Dr. Zahi Hawass, the
world's leading egyptologist and head of the Giza
excavations.

Zahi Hawass is on a Scandinavian tour and was so
inspired by Margrethe's presence that he revealed a
sensational archaeological find which will be
published in the Egyptian press no sooner than in a
couple of months.

Between the Sphinx and the Khefren pyramid Hawass and
his staff have discovered a hitherto unknown
subterranean shaft, reaching a depth of 29 meters [96
feet, approximately]. In the bottom of the shaft they
found a stone sarcophagus surrounded by water. If
Hawass's theory holds, he has found the grave of
Osiris, the god of death.


Amateur Archaeologist


The Queen was listening enthusiastically from the
first row. Since 1962, when she was a young crown
princess and tried her hand in Egypt as an amateur
archaeologist, she has had an ardent interest in the
pyramids of Egypt.

"The finds he was describing were so great that his
voice was almost tearful," one listener said.


Inviting the Queen


Zahi Hawass ended his lecture by discreetly inviting
the Queen to visit his excavations in Giza, as Prince
Henrik did last year.

"I hope he'll bring his wife next time," he said.

Haslund-Christensen, the Lord Chamberlain,
tells EkstraBladet, that the Queen is not on her way
to Egypt, though.

"Not for the time being. The Queen has a lot of other
things to do. His invitation was an instance of
courtesy," the Queen's spokesman said.