Ancient Egyptian painting stolen from tomb at Saqqara necropolis

A 4,000-year-old limestone painting housed in a tomb at Egypt's Saqqara necropolis has gone missing – making it the second ancient Egyptian artefact to be reported stolen in less than a month.

The painting, which dates back to the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, between 2700 BC and 2200 BC, was housed in the tomb of Khentika, an official from the era whose burial site was discovered in the 1950s.

It is the second theft in recent weeks of an ancient artefact after a 3,000-year-old gold bracelet from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was stolen last month, melted down and sold. The thefts have raised concerns over the security of Egypt’s archaeological treasures, which comprise thousands of items spanning millennia.

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The painting missing from the Saqqara necropolis, a Unesco World Heritage site south of Cairo, reportedly depicted the ancient Egyptian calendar. It divided the year into three agricultural seasons – flooding (Akhet), planting (Proyat) and harvest (Shomu) – that mirrored the cycles of the Nile, symbolising the importance of the waterway to ancient Egyptian society.

Mohamed Ismail, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, confirmed the painting’s disappearance and said prosecutors had opened an investigation.

Mr Ismail said the tomb had been closed since 2019, when it was last used to store artefacts. A committee led by Saqqara site director Amr Al Tibi was formed to audit the tomb's contents and determine the circumstances of the theft, Mr Ismail said.

“Upon receiving the committee’s report, the matter was immediately referred to the public prosecutor for further investigation,” he added in a statement.

The painting's disappearance was first reported by Egyptian media, with several saying a British archaeological mission working at the site discovered the artefact was gone in May. Officials have not provided details on when the theft may have occurred or how it was carried out.

The tomb of Khentika is a prominent site within Saqqara and is known for its inscriptions, including a rare curse on its facade warning any intruders of divine punishment. Saqqara, part of the ancient capital of Memphis, contains some of Egypt’s most significant archaeological treasures, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser and several smaller pyramids.

The necropolis has been a focal point for tourists and researchers, but the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is now facing heightened scrutiny over the security of treasures at the site. Measures have recently been taken by Egyptian authorities to prevent smuggling. Images of the missing painting are being circulated to all the country's airports, seaports and land border crossings, the ministry said.

Investigators are working to determine if the theft is linked to trafficking networks that have plagued the region.

Egypt is preparing to open its new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, where many of the country’s most prized artefacts will be displayed, but the recent thefts highlight the challenges of safeguarding the country's ancient heritage.

The theft of the bracelet last month led to the arrest of four suspects, including a museum employee, but the bracelet, which was adorned with the gemstone lapis lazuli and linked to the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenemope, was melted down after being sold in Cairo’s jewellery market.