13 Ancient Artifacts Returned to Egypt from the United States

By: Mustafa Ali

Egypt succeeded in recovering 13 antiquities from the United States of America, which had exited the country illegally, in light of the Egyptian state’s continuous efforts to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property, and in cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Egypt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt, Immigration, and Affairs of Egyptians Abroad, and all concerned Egyptian and international bodies, including the Office of the Attorney General in New York, the Tourism and Antiquities Investigation Department, and the Office of the Attorney General of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

In this context, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Egypt explained that the recovery of these pieces comes within the scope of the Egyptian state’s strategy to preserve its unique cultural heritage in the world, and reflects Egypt’s firm commitment to continue working to recover everything that emerged from their antiquities illegally, stressing that the state will not give up on recovering them by all available means, in cooperation with its international partners specially UNESCO, and in a way that ensures the protection of this human heritage for future generations.

How does Egypt retrieve its ancient artifacts from other countries?

This deal came as a result of the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Affairs of Egyptians Abroad, the Office of the Attorney General in New York, the Tourism and Antiquities Investigations Department, the Office of the Attorney General of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and all concerned Egyptian and international parties, in close cooperation and legal and diplomatic efforts made to track down and recover Egyptian antiquities that left the country illegally, in a way that contributes to preserving and preserving Egyptian cultural heritage.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities explained that the returned pieces are distinguished by their diversity and historical importance, as they date back to different Egyptian ancient eras, from prehistoric times to the Greco-Roman era in Egypt, and reflect multiple aspects of religious, daily, family behaviour, and artistic life in ancient Egypt.

What are the pieces that were returned from the USA to Egypt?

The Director General of the General Administration for the Recovery of Antiquities and Supervisor of the Central Administration for Ports and Confiscations pointed out that among the most prominent of these pieces is a group of vessels of various shapes and sizes, which were used for many purposes, including an alabaster (marble) vessel for preserving oils and perfumes dating back to the seventh century BC in Pharaohs era, a kohl pot in the shape of a monkey from the New Kingdom era, a cosmetics vessel in the shape of a cat from the Middle Kingdom, a vessel from the Ptolemaic era, and a ceremonial cup that was used in religious rituals, in addition to several utensils. To preserve liquids and ointments from the Middle Kingdom.

The Antiquities Authority added that among the pieces are also a part of a decorated vessel depicting a child among swamp plants, likely linked to the child Horus, a pottery piece in the shape of a duck from the Ptolemaic era, and a ceramic decoration bearing the head of the Greek god Dionysus.

The recovered pieces also include a statue of the goddess Isis in the form of Aphrodite, dating back to the second century AD, embodying the process of cultural merging between the Egyptian and Greek civilizations, in addition to a block statue of a person called “Ankh-ennefer” from the late era.