4,000-Year-Old Egyptian Inscription Stolen from Ancient Tomb

October 8, 2025 | 09:30 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A rare limestone relief or 4,000-year-old inscription has been stolen from a tomb in Egypt's famous Saqqara Necropolis. This is the second major theft of antiquities to occur in just a few weeks. 

According to CBS News, the ancient inscription was reported missing last weekend. Three weeks earlier, officials confirmed that a gold bracelet had been stolen from the Egyptian Museum by a restoration worker. The antique bracelet was sold and then melted down.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated that the rare limestone relief was missing from a Fifth Dynasty tomb, dating from 2500 to 2350 BC, in the Saqqara Necropolis, south of Cairo. The tomb belonged to a high-ranking official named Khenti Ka, who held titles including “Priest of the Goddess Maat” and “Overseer of the Royal Palace,” archaeologist Ali Abu Deshish said.

“This tomb is special because of its extraordinary reliefs depicting daily life in ancient Egypt,” Abu Deshish said.

The theft was a disaster. He said that Egyptian antiquities are not for sale. “These artifacts belong to the heritage of all humanity,” Abu Deshish said. 

The relief, measuring approximately 16 x 24 inches, which is now missing, depicts the three seasons of ancient Egypt: Akhet (flooding), Peret (growth), and Shemu (harvest). Local media reported that the artifact appears to have been cut from the tomb wall with an electric saw.

The ministry said the tomb had been sealed and used as a storage place for antiquities since it was discovered in the 1950s. The tomb has not been opened since 2019.

Turkiye Today reported that last month Egypt was also rocked by the theft of a gold bracelet from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. The item, which is more than 3,000 years old, was stolen on September 9 by a restoration employee while performing his duties inside the museum.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the employee took advantage of his colleagues' indifference and contacted an acquaintance, a trader, to sell it for 180,000 Egyptian pounds or around Rp62 million. The dealer then sold it to a gold workshop owner, who subsequently sold it to a worker at a gold refinery for 194,000 Egyptian pounds, equivalent to Rp67 million.

The worker melted the bracelet along with other jewelry to reshape it, effectively destroying the artifact forever.

Authorities continue to investigate both incidents and assess security measures to protect Egypt's priceless heritage.

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