3,000-Year-Old Pharaoh’s Gold Bracelet Goes Missing from Cairo Museum

A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet belonging to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh has gone missing from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, prompting authorities to launch a search for the priceless artifact.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that the bracelet, adorned with lapis lazuli, was last seen in the museum’s restoration laboratory near Tahrir Square. The loss has been reported to law enforcement and the public prosecutor’s office.

As a precaution against smuggling, images of the bracelet have been circulated to all airports, seaports, and land borders across the country. Museum officials clarified that some pictures circulating online actually show a different bracelet on display, not the stolen one.

The bracelet originally belonged to Pharaoh Amenemopet of Egypt’s 21st Dynasty, who ruled during the Third Intermediate Period (approximately 1076–723 BCE). Though lesser-known, Amenemopet was considered an intriguing ruler. He was initially buried in a single chamber tomb, “NRT Four,” in the ancient royal necropolis of Tanis in the eastern Nile Delta. Later, his remains were moved to rest alongside Pharaoh Psusennes I, one of Egypt’s most powerful rulers of the time. Psusennes I’s tomb was rediscovered in 1940.

Christos Tsirogiannis, a forensic archaeologist at the University of Cambridge specializing in the international trade of ancient artifacts, said the theft is “not surprising,” given the lucrative market for antiquities.

He outlined several possible outcomes for the missing bracelet:

1. Smuggling Abroad: The bracelet may have been taken out of Egypt and could surface later online, in a gallery, or at an auction, often accompanied by falsified provenance or misleading details.

2. Melting for Gold: Less profitable than selling as an artifact, but reduces the risk of being caught.

3. Private Collection: It may end up in a private collection, where the owner would likely be aware it was stolen but could still keep it.

4. Return: In some cases, stolen items have been returned or left near the museum, as happened in Egypt during the Arab Spring.

The ministry has said that a full inventory of all other items in the restoration lab will be conducted, with a specialist committee reviewing each piece.

Illegal trade in Egypt’s antiquities has long been a concern. Last year, authorities arrested two individuals attempting to smuggle hundreds of ancient artifacts from the seabed near Abu Qir Bay, close to Alexandria. The suspects admitted to planning the illegal export.