What does an Egyptian sarcophagus have in common with the Sun of Cusco? Find out what’s behind the work to recover our stolen archaeological heritage

The news takes us to Cairo, in the year in which Egypt celebrates the 100th anniversary of the opening of the inner chamber of the tomb of Tutankhamen by the British archaeologist Howard Carter, on March 20, 1923. It is about repatriation of 17 archaeological pieces, including the “Green Sarcophagus”, which was in the Museum of Natural Sciences in Houston, United States.

The Foreign Ministry hastily organized a ceremony for the delivery of the sarcophagus, in which it thanked the US authorities for their cooperation in returning it. That archaeological piece was previously exhibited at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. The delivery took place more than three months after the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office determined that the sarcophagus was looted from the Abu Sir Necropolis, north of the Egyptian capital. He was smuggled into Germany and from there to the United States in 2008.

“This is a unique and important moment,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shokri told the media. He was accompanied by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and diplomatic representatives from the United States, countries that signed a protocol in 2016, to expedite the recovery of illegally removed works, a practice largely occurred when colonial powers enriched their museums with heritage taken from all corners of the world. As a result of these efforts, Cairo has already received 5,000 works that now strengthen its heritage.

“This impressive sarcophagus was trafficked by a well-organized ring that has looted countless antiquities from the region,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg. “We are pleased that this object is returned to Egypt, where it rightfully belongs.”

Popularly called “The Green Sarcophagus”, due to the face of this color painted on the lid of the sarcophagus, it is one of the largest pharaonic wooden coffins ever discovered. Dating back 2,700 years, it bears witness to the Late Dynastic Period, developed between 664 and 332 BC, a time from the last pharaonic rulers until their defeat at the hands of Alexander the Great.

In Peru it also recovers

Unlike Egypt, Peru was not a victim of the colonial plunder of its heritage in the 19th century, but rather the looting of archaeological sites and their systematic smuggling. Are these agreements the best way to achieve a speedy recovery of assets found illegally abroad?

As Jorge Prieto, Director of Cultural Heritage of our Foreign Ministry, explains to us, the strategies are multiple. From initiatives that arise from conscientious people who make contact with the Peruvian embassies abroad to voluntarily return inherited or purchased objects, to the application of international conventions, bilateral agreements or memorandums of understanding, in addition to incantations or cases already prosecuted, always working closely with the Ministry of Culture. “The 1970 Convention, an instrument that prohibits the illegal import, export, and transfer of cultural property, is a legal tool that we always refer to,” he explains.

“With the United States we have had a memorandum of understanding for the protection of cultural property for years. It is known that the US is the main market for this type of object. Now we are negotiating an agreement, which has already been signed and is currently in the process of internal improvement in both countries. This new agreement will reinforce the joint fight for recovery. What it is about is preventing these goods from being traded in the US market,” says Prieto.

“Over time, the awareness in the world grows that the illicit traffic of cultural goods causes a lot of damage. Not only to the integrity of the archaeological sites, but to the loss of information in them and in the identity of the towns from which they have been extracted”. Many people have become aware of this and contact our embassies abroad.

And if in Egypt the “Green Sarcophagus” is the most valuable piece recently returned, for the foreign ministry official an emblematic piece recovered in mid-2021 is the so-called “Sol del Cusco”, or “Sol de Echenique”, a 2,000 piece from Cusco years old, previously exhibited at the National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, an institution that depends on the prestigious Smithsonian. After many negotiations, what is an invaluable piece was recovered.

Despite the political crisis, officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Culture continue to work. Thus, imminent recoveries are contemplated in the portfolio. Prieto announces the imminent arrival of large-format colonial paintings from Miami, as well as the recovery of a Chavín Clava Head, from Switzerland, the product of a seizure. It is a sustained work and whose challenges are becoming more and more complex. Proof of this is the appearance of new strategies in cultural traffic, such as online auctions, for example.

“In 2021 we repatriated more than 400 objects, and last year, more than 300. In the last decade, we have brought home 17,000 pieces of our cultural and artistic heritage. It is a rewarding job, because beyond the paperwork, it is about concrete achievements. People can see the fruit of our labor”, adds Prieto.