Egypt accuses Belgian diplomats of damaging ancient whale fossils
The Associated Press Published: August 27, 2007
CAIRO, Egypt: Egyptian authorities have accused Belgian diplomats of damaging a 40 million-year-old whale fossil when they allegedly drove over the ancient remains in a protected desert area, an official said Monday. Belgian officials denied any damage was done. Wadi el-Hitan contains fossils of the extinct suborder of whales, the archaeoceti, that date back about 40 million years. UNESCO says the fossils show the evolution of the whale from a land-based mammal to an ocean animal. |
Wadi el-Hitan contains fossils of the extinct suborder of whales, the archaeoceti, that date back about 40 million years.