Good news: perhaps other looters will get a conscience in their old age.

Try the Cultural Attache at the nearest Egyptian Embassy (Washington DC
in the case of the USA) as a first step.  Alternatively they could
contact the Egyptian Museums and Antiquities Service direct:

        Prof. Dr. M. Abddel Halim Nur El Din
        Secretary-General, Supreme Council of Antiquities
        4d Kakhri Abdel Nour Street
        Abbasiya
        Cairo, Egypt.

        tel. +20-2-839.637  fax. +20-2-283.1117

(Prof. Nur El Din is also President of the Egyptian National Committee of
ICOM.)

It is important to organise such returns directly or indirectly through
diplomatic channels to ensure that the export from the present country is
does not break the "holding" countries own export control and licencing
laws.  (The fact that the object is being returned to its country of
origin does not automatically over-ride national antiquities and art
export laws, though in the case of a relatively recent theft or illegal
export I think it would be almost inconceivable for a national authority
to refuse an export licence.)

Patrick Boylan

================================================================

On Tue, 20 Feb 1996, Rebecca Andrews wrote:

> I rec'd an anon phone call from a person who apparently removed some
> material from an Egyptian pyramid 20 years ago, and now would like to
> return it to its point of origin.  Rather than involving our museum, I
> thought that they could do it themselves, but I am at a loss as to how to
> best direct this person.  Please send me names of institutions or
> individuals that they could contact, if you know of any.  Thanks for your
> help!
>