Egypt recovered 36 Egyptian archaeological artifacts from the United States of America on Thursday that had been smuggled out of the country through illicit means.
This new achievement reflects the Egyptian state’s commitment to protecting its heritage and safeguarding its civilizational identity, and is a fulfillment of the President of the Republic’s directives in this regard.
An archaeological committee from the Supreme Council of Antiquities received these artifacts to deposit them in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir in preparation for their restoration and display in the museum according to its special exhibition scenario.
This achievement is also the fruit of fruitful cooperation with the competent American authorities, particularly the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, within the framework of the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding between Egypt and the United States in the field of protecting and recovering antiquities.
Details of the recovered artifacts
Shaaban Abdel Gawad, Director-General of the General Department of Recovered Antiquities and Supervisor of the Central Administration of Archaeological Ports at the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), stated that the recovered artifacts comprised three main groups:
- Group 1: 11 artifacts
- These pieces were handed over by the New York District Attorney’s Office.
- They included a mummy mask of a young man from the Roman Era.
- They also included a vessel in the shape of the deity ‘Bes’ and a limestone funerary stela (plaque) from the Roman Era.
- Group 2: 24 manuscripts
- These were handed over to the Egyptian Consulate in New York by the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a gesture of initiative.
- This group included 24 rare manuscripts featuring writings in both Coptic and Syriac languages.
- Group 3: One colored plaster panel
- This piece dates back to the 18th Dynasty era.
- It was confiscated by the New York District Attorney’s Office after confirming that it had been illegally smuggled out of Egypt.
