By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Mexico has returned a priceless archaeological piece from the Aswan region to the Egyptian government, officials said.
The anthropomorphic piece, which shows a head in profile, was handed over Tuesday to the Egyptian Embassy in Mexico City, the National Anthropology and History Institute, or INAH, and the Attorney General’s Office said.
It dates back to the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC).
The relic was found in 2006 during a customs inspection of a shipment from abroad, the agencies said.
The piece was returned after “four years of research and investigations that confirmed the authenticity and illegal removal of the item”, a statement said.
The piece, which is 15.6 centimeters tall, 15 centimeters wide and 2.8 centimeters thick, was kept in a secure section of the National Anthropology Museum during this time, the agencies said.
The AG’s office, INAH and the Egyptian Embassy worked together in the interests of “recovering cultural heritage (items) that have been illegally removed from their countries of origin”, the agencies said.