3,000-year-old Egyptian artefact held by US Customs in Memphis
A 3,000-year-old ancient Egyptian artefact has been seized in Memphis, Tennessee, by federal agents. US Customs and Border Protection said that it had been imported from Europe last week, but they intercepted the package.
The shipment contained a 3,000-year-old funerary canopic jar lid, which had been related to the Egyptian deity Imset. The Agency believed that the item had been sent from Europe to a private collector in the United States.
According to experts, the lid is said to have been derived from a jar which once would have stored ancient mummified remains. The Customs Agency contacted experts at the University of Memphis Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology to help them identify the item.
After examination and discussion with the Agency, officials claimed that the lid was most likely made sometime between 1069 B.C. and 653 B.C. The lid’s size has not been revealed by the Agency, although it is said to feature a depiction of Imset, an Egyptian funeral God. Imset’s traditional role in Egyptian mythology is to provide protection for a recently deceased person’s liver.
The Egyptians viewed the liver as being the centre of human emotion, and as such, Imset was always depicted in a mummified human form on the canopic jars, in contrast to his brothers, who were always depicted in an animal form.
US Customs has stated that the Egyptian artefact is protected by bilateral treaties that restrict the importation of archaeological finds. The item was therefore seized under the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act 1983.
According to the Customs office, the shipper of the item had submitted contradictory reports about the item’s worth. The shipper’s name and location have not been revealed. The item has now been sent to Homeland Security Investigations for closer inspection.
