U.S. Customs Seized a Potentially 3,000-year-old Egyptian Artifact Shipped to Memphis
After the sender made “contradictory statements” on its declared value.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a potentially 3,000-year-old Egyptian artifact that was shipped to Memphis, Tennessee from Europe. The confiscation occurred on August 17th as authorities reported “contradictory statements” from the undisclosed shipper regarding its declared value.
The ancient jar lid, also known as a canopic jar, depicts the funeral deity Imsety and was once used to hold mummies’ internal organs. Federal agents worked with the University of Memphis Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology to verify the authenticity of the object, which has been determined to date back to Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period — from 1069 BC to 653 BC.
According to the release, the artifact is protected by the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act of 1983, which restricts certain archaeological materials from being imported into the U.S. The jar has since been passed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further examination.
