Egypt recovers mummies, coffins smuggled from US

The artifacts were recovered in New York City, Egyptian officials said.

Egypt announced that it has successfully recovered a trove of rare antiquities smuggled from the US - Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the successful recovery of a trove of rare antiquities smuggled from the United States, capping a three-year diplomatic effort between the two countries.

Egypt cooperates with the US to recover antiquities

According to ABC News , the artifacts include gilded coffin lids from the Pharaonic period, gold funeral masks and fragments believed to be from the ancient temple of Queen Hatshepsut - among 25 artifacts received in Cairo.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the items spanned several centuries, representing a variety of styles from different periods of ancient Egyptian civilization.

A mummy portrait from Faiyum, Egypt; a gold coin from the reign of Ptolemy I, a Greek general and successor of Alexander the Great; and 2,400-year-old jewelry were also among the returned artifacts.

The artifacts were recovered in New York City through a joint operation between the Egyptian consulate, the New York District Attorney's Office and US security agencies.

Cultural Values ​​and Symbols of Egypt

Officials did not specify how the artifacts were smuggled out of Egypt or ended up in the United States, but said the recovery was part of an ongoing effort to “combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property.”

Similarly, in 2016, the US also returned a collection of stolen antiquities to Egypt, including an ancient wooden coffin, a mummy's shroud, and a mummified hand.

“In the marketplace, cultural assets, art, and antiquities are valued in monetary terms, but for the Egyptian people, the cultural and symbolic value of these treasures far exceeds any material value,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Sarah R. Saldaña at the time.

That same year, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement returned more than 200 artifacts to India, along with a stolen copy of a 1493 letter written by Christopher Columbus describing his discoveries in the Americas to Italy.

Back to topic

DAWN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ai-cap-thu-hoi-xac-uop-quan-tai-bi-buon-lau-tu-my-20250515114218064.htm