THE EGYPTIAN government has revoked a Greek archaeologist's licence to excavate, saying her search for the tomb of Alexander the Great was one of the worst pieces of archaeology it had ever seen.
Ms Liana Souvaltzi announced in 1995 that she had found the tomb in Siwa oasis in north-west Egypt, but Greek and Egyptian archaeologists dismissed her claims.
Mr Ali Hassan, secretary general of the state's Supreme Council for Antiquities, said none of 22 specialists had a good word to say about Ms Souvaltzi's methods.
"The report of the inquiry was one of the worst I have ever seen on the methods, on the recording, on photography, on jumping from one place to another as if hunting," he added.
"Mr Ali Hassan said wretched lies," an angry Ms Souvaltzi said in Athens. "I reject all decisions and conclusions, and my revelations will be made through the courts."
Meanwhile, the Egyptian government has demolished about 250 houses built on top of pharaonic tombs near the southern town of Luxor, a few miles from Tutankhamun's tomb, fulfilling a long-standing dream of the antiquities department, Mr Hassan said.