Egyptologists have discovered 19 objects not known earlier to belong to Pharoah Tutankhamun in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. These would now be duly sent back to Egypt.
British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter, the man who is credited with having discovered Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, had retained a few artefacts which were bequeathed to the museum after his death in 1939. These artefacts were quite small and at the time it was not known that they were from the tomb itself, Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), announced on his website.
Of the 19 pieces, 15 have the "status" of bits or samples. “The remaining four are of more significant art-historical interest and include a small bronze dog less than three-quarters of an inch in height and a small sphinx bracelet-element, acquired from Howard Carter’s niece, after they had been probated with his estate.” there are two other pieces ― “part of a handle and a broad collar accompanied by additional beads.”
The objects will be on display as part of the Tutankhamun exhibition at Times Square till January 2011. The artefacts will then be taken back to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and displayed as part of the museum’s Egyptian collection. In June next year, these would be exhibited at at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The final destination would be the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza, scheduled to be inaugurated in 2012.
Dr Hawass and Thomas P Campbell, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York made the announcement on Wednesday in the presence of Farouk Hosny, Egypt's Minister for Culture.
Though it is a usual practice for archaeologists to take back souvenirs, both Carter and his sponsor Earl of Carnarvon were not allowed to take anything from the Tutankhamun treasures. A number of objects were also found in Carter's estate after his death.
