Rare Archaeological Panel Disappears from Saqqarah Archaeological Site
Only a few days after the theft of an ancient pharaonic bracelet, a case that has raised significant concern among the Egyptian public, a rare archaeological panel has gone missing from the Saqqarah archaeological site in Giza, southern Egypt.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, confirmed that all necessary legal measures have been taken and the case has been referred to the prosecution for investigation. He explained that the tomb was completely sealed and had been used as a storage facility for antiquities since its discovery in the 1950s, and had not been opened since 2019. He also mentioned the formation of an archaeological committee to inventory the contents of the tomb.
Khaled added that upon receiving the report from the archaeological committee, the case was immediately referred to the prosecution for investigation, emphasizing that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is closely following the developments of the investigation in coordination with the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, Magdy Shaker, Chief Archaeologist at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, stated that there were reports of the disappearance of an archaeological panel from one of the tombs in the Saqqarah region, specifically from the famous tomb of "Khenti Ka", which is used as a storage facility for archaeological pieces. He specified that the panel was made of limestone, measured approximately 40 by 60 centimeters, and depicted three scenes of daily life from the Old Kingdom.
Shaker also indicated that the relevant authorities, including the Supreme Council of Antiquities, are currently conducting a comprehensive and thorough inventory of the storage facilities to determine all the details.
The tomb of "Khenti Ka" is located in the Saqqarah archaeological site, south of the step pyramid of Djoser, and is one of the important tombs dating back to the end of the Old Kingdom dynasty.
Theft of Ancient Gold Bracelet
This incident occurs approximately two weeks after another highly publicized case: the theft of an ancient gold bracelet from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, dating back to the Third Intermediate Period.
The Egyptian administrative prosecution revealed that a museum employee, a restoration specialist at the Egyptian Museum, had embezzled the bracelet and left her workplace to sell it later.
The prosecution's inspection of the museum showed that the stolen bracelet dated back to the Third Intermediate Period, around 900 years BC. It is made of pure gold, inlaid with a rare piece of lapis lazuli, and was displayed in one of the museum's halls before being deposited in the restoration laboratory to be prepared for an exhibition abroad.
