Egypt Hunts for 3,000-Year-Old Pharoah Bracelet Missing From Museum

Egyptian authorities are searching for a 3,000-year-old gold bracelet that vanished from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
The bracelet, decorated with a lapis lazuli bead, once belonged to King Amenemope of the 21st Dynasty
Amenemope was a relatively little-known pharaoh from the Third Intermediate Period whose tomb was discovered in 1940 in Tanis

Egyptian authorities are searching for a 3,000-year-old gold bracelet that vanished from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The bracelet, decorated with a lapis lazuli bead, once belonged to King Amenemope of the 21st Dynasty. It was last seen in the museum's restoration lab, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The case has been referred to law enforcement and prosecutors.

Images of the bracelet have been circulated across airports, seaports, and border crossings to prevent smuggling. Officials clarified that photos circulating online of another bracelet were not the missing artifact.

The ministry said all other items in the restoration lab will be inventoried and reviewed by a specialist committee.

Amenemope was a relatively little-known pharaoh from the Third Intermediate Period whose tomb was discovered in 1940 in Tanis, in Egypt's eastern Nile Delta.

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Key Takeaways

The disappearance of the Amenemope bracelet highlights the ongoing risks facing Egypt's cultural heritage. The illegal trade in antiquities is a multibillion-dollar global industry, with Egyptian artifacts among the most sought-after on black markets. Egypt has tightened laws and international agreements to repatriate stolen treasures, but incidents still occur. In 2023, two men were arrested for attempting to smuggle hundreds of artifacts from Abu Qir Bay near Alexandria, underscoring the scale of the problem. The Egyptian Museum, which houses some of the world's most valuable Pharaonic collections, has long been a focal point for both conservation and controversy. The loss of a royal object dating back to the Third Intermediate Period is significant not only for Egypt but for global archaeology, as items linked to Amenemope are rare. Authorities' rapid escalation of the search shows the importance placed on preventing the bracelet from entering international trafficking channels.

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