A significant cultural loss has emerged from Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, with a 3,000-year-old gold bracelet reported missing from a restoration laboratory. The bracelet, adorned with spherical lapis lazuli beads, is believed to have belonged to King Amenemope, a prominent pharaoh of Egypt’s 21st Dynasty, which dates from 1070 to 945 BC.
The antiquities ministry announced the disappearance late Tuesday, yet it did not provide details regarding the last confirmed sighting of the artifact. Egyptian media sources have suggested that the loss was identified during a recent inventory check, although this claim has not been independently verified.
As part of their response, an internal investigation has been initiated, and all antiquities units across Egypt’s airports, seaports, and land borders have been notified to remain vigilant against any potential smuggling attempts of the missing piece. The ministry has circulated an image of the bracelet to these units as a precautionary measure.
The decision to delay the announcement of the missing bracelet was made to ensure that initial investigations could proceed without public pressure. The Egyptian Museum, located in Tahrir Square, houses over 170,000 artifacts, including the renowned gold funerary mask of King Amenemope. This museum is set to play a pivotal role in Egypt’s cultural heritage, especially with the imminent inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum scheduled for November 1. This event is highly anticipated and is expected to serve as a major cultural milestone for the country.
The timing of the bracelet’s disappearance is particularly concerning as preparations are underway to move treasures from King Tutankhamun’s tomb to the new museum, which has become emblematic of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s efforts to enhance Egypt’s cultural prominence. Previous initiatives, such as the grand parade in 2021 that transferred 22 royal mummies to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, highlight the government’s focus on boosting tourism and modernizing the museum infrastructure.
In a related context, just hours before the Egyptian announcement, authorities in France reported a theft of gold samples valued at $700,000 from Paris’s Natural History Museum, raising alarms about the security of historical artifacts worldwide. Earlier this year, the United States returned 25 stolen items to Egypt, including artifacts tied to Queen Hatshepsut, culminating a three-year recovery process.
As investigations into the missing bracelet continue, the loss underscores ongoing concerns surrounding the protection and preservation of Egypt’s rich archaeological heritage.
