Page 16 - IAV Digital Magazine #477

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Border Agents Seize Ancient Egyptian Mummy Linens At Blue Water Bridge
PORT HURON (WWJ) - It was an extraordinary find for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Michigan: ancie nt Egyptian mummy linens.
The artifacts were seized on May 25, accord- ing to
officials, during enforcement
operations at the Blue Water Bridge.
CBP said in a news release that Canadian mail
truck selected for inspection was found to be hauling five jars of ancient Egyptian mummy linen.
Working
with a Washingt
on, DC based archeological organization, investigators determined that the scraps of material were fr om sometime around the Ptolemaic Dynasty 305-30 BC.
So, are they ille- gal? Yes, authorities say, as the owner was unable to
prove that the artifacts were removed from Egypt prior to April 2016, which is in viola- tion of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act.
As a result, fed- eral agencies will be working to return the artifacts to
Egypt.
While drugs are the most com- monly seize item, CBP agents are responsible
for enforcing hundreds of laws at and between inter- national ports of entry. As part of that mission, CBP enforces bi-lateral agree- ments and
import restric- tions on certain foreign cultural property and archeological materials to pre- vent the illegal trade and traf- ficking of cultur- al antiquities and artifacts.
“This seizure of historical impor- tance highlights the wide variety of federal laws that CBP is responsible for enforcing. I am extremely proud of our officers’ hard work dur- ing and after the discovery of these ancient artifacts” said Port Director Michael Fox.
No details were released as to where artifacts came from, or where they were headed. No charges were announced in connection with the case.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine