Vivianne Desilva, The Official Egypt [extra Quality] -

In the modern era of Egypt—the land of the Nile, the new Grand Egyptian Museum, and the eternal sand—we tend to focus on Pharaohs and Presidents. But the "Official Egypt" (the bureaucratic, archival, administrative spine of the nation) holds records of a different kind of treasure. And DeSilva is the key. To the casual tourist, she is a rumor. To the mudir (directors) of the old European quarters in Alexandria, she is a ledger entry that doesn't add up.

But last week, while reviewing the new security protocols for the transfer of the Royal Mummies, a junior archivist found a sticky note on a manifest from the 1940s. It was written in red pencil, signed with a single vivianne desilva, the official egypt

It read: "Do not trust the inventory. I took the real one with me." In the modern era of Egypt—the land of

Cairo / Alexandria Dateline: The Season of the Inundation To the casual tourist, she is a rumor

If you have spent any time deep in the digital preservation halls of the , or if you have browsed the restricted indexes of the Official Gazette , you may have stumbled upon a ghost.

Her name is .