Stolen Sarcophagi Covers Seized in Old City

June 4, 2012

The ancient covers, which are made of wood and coated with a layer of plaster, are adorned with breathtaking decorations and paintings of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The coffins were taken for examination on the suspicion they might be stolen property.

After undergoing examination by experts, which included a Carbon 14 analysis for the purpose of dating the wood, it was unequivocally determined that these items are authentic and thousands of years old: one of the covers is dated to the period between the 10th and 8th centuries BC (Iron Age) and the other to between the 16th and 14th centuries BC (Late Bronze Age).

Because these are rare artifacts made of organic material, they are being held in custody under climate-controlled conditions in IAA laboratories. Wooden sarcophagi of this kind have only been found in Egypt so far and were preserved thanks to the dry desert climate that prevails there.

It is suspected that Egyptian antiquities robbers plundered ancient tombs in the region of the Western desert in Egypt, and afterwards, unknown persons smuggled the wooden covers from Egypt to Dubai, and from there, they found their way to Israel by way of a third country in Europe. Evidence of their having been smuggled is indicated by the sawing of the covers into two parts, which caused irreparable damage to the ancient items. This was presumably done to reduce their dimensions and facilitate concealing and transporting them in a standard size suitcase.

Covers of this kind usually enclosed a sarcophagus made of palm wood approximately two meters (6 feet) long, which contained the embalmed remains of a person. Egyptian authorities submitted a request asking that the stolen sarcophagus covers be repatriated.

Source: From an IAA press release