Within days, a collection of 123 artefacts from different ancient Egyptian eras are to arrive in Cairo from the United States after it was proven that they were illegally smuggled out of the Egypt.

painted wooden sarcophagus

Mamdouh Eldamaty, the minister of antiquities, explained that the artefacts were found by the Customs Police at New York airport in a wooden parcel within the luggage of a passenger during an attempt to smuggle them inside the United States.

Egyptian authorities succeeded to prove that the antiquities are authentic which has led the way for them to be returned to Egypt.

Ahmed Ali, general director of the Antiquities Recuperation Department, told Ahram Online that the recovered antiquities include a collection of painted wooden sarcophagi from the 26^th Dynasty, a number of limestone statues from the Third Intermediate Period, the remains of human skeletons, three wooden model boats with their crew from the Middle Kingdom, as well as a large collection of Graeco-Roman coins.

wooden boat with crew