Egypt
drhawass.com (Zahi Hawass)
With photo of the returned artefact.
The offering table held between the hands of the statue was found earlier in the museum itself, so the statue will need to be restored.
Bad news from Hawass and his office are as follows:
- Stolen Bronze Relics Returned To Egyptian Museum
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- Four Items Returned To The Egyptian Museum
Luxor Times With photos showing the state of the objects on their return. Four objects missing from the Egyptian Museum since the January Revolution have been returned, announced Dr. Zahi Hawass, Minister of State for Antiquities. The objects returned...
- The Status Of Egyptian Antiquities Today
drhawass.com (Zahi Hawass) A distressing list of problems, the most open official statement to date. When the revolution began on January 25, 2011, and through its first week, there were only a few reports of looting: at Qantara East in the Sinai, and...
- Saving History For Posterity
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El-Aref) An engaging account of how the Akhenaten statuette was recovered, followed by a look at which museums remain closed due to security concerns, the improvement in visitor numbers to various sites and the doubts about damage...
- Very Sad Official News That Items Have Gone Missing From Egyptian Museum And Dashur
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Egypt
Official news - Akhenaten statue returned, but bad news from other sites
drhawass.com (Zahi Hawass)
With photo of the returned artefact.
Today, I announced that the missing limestone statue of King Akhenaten, the father of Tutankhamun, has been returned to the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. This unique statue, which dates from the Amarna Period (ca. 1353-1336 B.C.), is 37 centimeters high and depicts the king standing, wearing a blue crown, and holding an offering table in his outstretched hands. The statue is made of painted limestone, and stands on a base of Egyptian alabaster.
I was informed that a sixteen-year-old male, one of the protestors at Tahrir Square, had found the statue of Akhenaten near the southern wall of the museum, and took it home. The boy's family immediately called the Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs to arrange for the statue's return to the Museum.
Last night, at the Antiquities and Tourism Police station at Cairo Opera House, an archaeological committee headed by Dr. Youssef Khalifa, Director of the Stolen Antiquities Department of the Ministry, accepted the statue of Akhenaten from Dr. Abdel Rahman. The committee confirmed its authenticity and identified it as the missing sculpture.
Bad news from Hawass and his office are as follows:
- At Saqqara, the tomb of Hetepka was broken into, and the false door may have been stolen along with objects stored in the tomb. A committee will visit the tomb on Saturday to compare the alleged damage with earlier expedition photos.
- Also at Saqqara strage magazines were broken into. A committee will report on what, if anything, is missing from those magazines
- In Abusir, a portion of the false door was stolen from the tomb of Rahotep
- The military have interrupted thieves attempting to loot the site of Tell el Basta and Lisht.
- Inspections are being made at other archaeological sites where illegal digging and looting have been reported.
Hawass has also announced that Coptic, Islamic, and modern sites would reopen to the public on Sunday, 20 February, 2011. The decision was made in consultation with the Antiquities and Tourism Police.
[NB - Sites in Luxor are reported to be open already and are more than ready to welcome visitors].
[NB - Sites in Luxor are reported to be open already and are more than ready to welcome visitors].
- Stolen Bronze Relics Returned To Egyptian Museum
Ahram Online With photos. the four retrieved bronze statues Osiris as a child Today the tourism and antiquities police succeeded in retrieving four ancient Egyptian artefacts, two of which were reported missing...
- Four Items Returned To The Egyptian Museum
Luxor Times With photos showing the state of the objects on their return. Four objects missing from the Egyptian Museum since the January Revolution have been returned, announced Dr. Zahi Hawass, Minister of State for Antiquities. The objects returned...
- The Status Of Egyptian Antiquities Today
drhawass.com (Zahi Hawass) A distressing list of problems, the most open official statement to date. When the revolution began on January 25, 2011, and through its first week, there were only a few reports of looting: at Qantara East in the Sinai, and...
- Saving History For Posterity
Al Ahram Weekly (Nevine El-Aref) An engaging account of how the Akhenaten statuette was recovered, followed by a look at which museums remain closed due to security concerns, the improvement in visitor numbers to various sites and the doubts about damage...
- Very Sad Official News That Items Have Gone Missing From Egyptian Museum And Dashur
drhawass.com With photos. Zahi Hawass, Minister of Antiquities, has confirmed that against his expectations and predictions an inventory of the museum following the break-in has resulted in the finding that items have been looted from the museum, including...