BERN, SWITZERLAND—Ahram Online reports that a fragment of a 3,400-year-old statue was repatriated to Egypt in a ceremony at the Egyptian embassy in Bern. The fragment is part of a larger sculpture at the site of Abydos depicting the pharaoh Ramesses II (reigned ca. 1279–1213 B.C.) with Egyptian deities. The artifact, which was stolen sometime between the late 1980s and early 1990s, was recovered in Geneva during a criminal investigation, according to Carine Bachmann of Switzerland’s Federal Office of Culture. The officials noted that the restitution of the sculpture fragment underlines the joint commitment of Switzerland and Egypt to combat the illicit trade in cultural property. To read about the burial of an individual who served as economic minister during the reign of Ramesses II, go to "The Treasurer's Tomb."
