3,000-Year-Old Egyptian Bracelet Melted Down After Theft
A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet, belonging to King Amenemope, was stolen from an Egyptian museum and melted down. The bracelet had disappeared from a conservation lab, prompting a nationwide search. The theft was traced to a museum restoration specialist, leading to arrests and the recovery of sale proceeds.
- Country:
- Egypt
A gold bracelet, dating back 3,000 years and belonging to the ancient Egyptian King Amenemope, has been stolen and melted down, according to Egypt's Interior Ministry. Initially reported missing by the Antiquities and Tourism Ministry, this artifact disappeared from a secure location in a conservation laboratory earlier this month.
The bracelet, adorned with spherical lapis lazuli beads, vanished from a safe on September 9. A special committee was promptly established to assess the laboratory's artefacts, and images of the lost bracelet were distributed across Egypt's points of exit to prevent its smuggling abroad.
The Interior Ministry's investigation led them to a museum restoration specialist involved in the theft. The artifact was sold to a silver trader and eventually reached a gold smelter who melted it down. Authorities have detained several suspects and seized proceeds totaling approximately 194,000 Egyptian pounds ($4,000). This theft comes just weeks before the highly anticipated opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, a major attraction for tourism and a key foreign currency source for Egypt.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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