Looted artifacts from Egyptian museum found
The heart-shaped amulet of Tutankhamun’s grandfather, as well as his ushabti figurine were found at the back of the museum today
Nevine El-Aref , Monday 14 Feb 2011
After searching the Egyptian museum and its grounds for the eight artifacts that have been missing since the recent break-in, three items have been recovered.
The objects were found on the ground at the eastern side of the museum beside the gift shop. These items are the heart-shaped amulet of Tutankhamun’s grandfather Yoya; one of his missing wooden ushabti figurines and a part of the broken, anthropoid wooden sarcophagus on display in the New Kingdom hall.
Minister of State for Antiquities Zahi Hawass announced that an inventory carried out at Darshour storage gallery, known as De-Morgans, by the site inspectors, reveals that there are eight missing amulets. A huge iron gate is to be erected around the gallery in an attempt to tighten security.
Hawass told Ahram Online that the news broadcast on CNN that the gold mask of Tutankhamun had been stolen is totally untrue. “How could a reliable news channel like CNN broadcast such an untrue story?” Hawass wonders.
He also said that the ABC news, as well as national and international news agencies and television channels, have entered the museum and photographed Tutankhamun’s gold mask, exhibited in a room along with two of the king’s gold sarcophagi.
Hawass invites all journalists and television crews to come to the museum on Wednesday to photograph the mask in its exhibition hall.
Initial investigations suggested that 70 objects were unaccounted for since the break-in at the museum on 28th January.. But a comprehensive inventory of the museum’s collection revealed that only eight items were missing and three of them have now been found.