Beyonce has come under fire for her lack of knowledge about ancient Egypt - by the country's Indiana Jones.

Revered historian Zahi Hawass, Egypt's chief Egyptologist, reportedly called the pop star a "stupid person" while speaking to journalists during Beyonce's recent tour of the Giza pyramids near Cairo.

Reporter Summer al-Gamal says Hawass, who claims he inspired Harrison Ford's Raiders of The Lost Ark character, was annoyed by the pop star's apparent lack of interest as she toured the ancient site.

According to Gamal, Hawass said, "I showed her the Sphinx and I gave her a book on King Tutankhamen," during his self-guided tour.

The reporter says, "Then he stopped being diplomatic and said in anger, 'She's a stupid person and she doesn't understand a thing and she doesn't want to understand... She's coming here to take pictures and that's it.'"

Gamal has reported Hawass' comments in the al-Shorouk newspaper.

The leading Egyptologist has yet to comment about the story.