The Egyptian authorities have evicted hundreds of peasants from this village in southern Egypt because their mud brick houses, which have sat atop some of the world’s most treasured and ancient tombs for centuries, were leaking sewage onto priceless antiquities.The families have been resettled nearby in an Egyptian version of Levittown with running water and telephones. But 80 families are holding out, saying they want more from a government that has so far been reluctant to use brute force.The Gurna standoff near the famed Valley of the Kings illustrates the challenges facing an authoritarian government that for decades imposed its will on the people. In Gurna — which sits on the tombs of the Nobles and between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens with their tombs that date back some 3,500 years — much of the familiar tableau of tourist kitsch and village life has been razed into piles of mud brick rubble. Egyptian officials say in Gurna they will finish the task because science and decency are on their side, along with preserving priceless antiquities. With NYT
