(WXYZ) — U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers in Port Huron seized what they believe to be are ancient Egyptian mummy linens during a enforcement operations at the Blue Water Bridge.
On May 25, officers identified a shipment on a Canadian mail truck that was selected for examination at a station in Marysville, Michigan.
A package inspection revealed five jars of suspected ancient Egyptian mummy linens. The patrol officers coordinated with a Washington, D.C.-based archaeological group to determine the validity of the artifacts.
.@CBP Officers in Port Huron have seized ancient #Egyptian Mummy Linens believed to be from the #Ptolemaic Dynasty 305-30 BC. Read more here! https://t.co/OuX2GzWham pic.twitter.com/wpXGOa8Bhp
— CBP Great Lakes (@CBPGreatLakes) June 26, 2019
The seized items are, in fact, believed to be from the Ptolemaic Dynasty 305-30 B.C.
According to border officials, "the importer was unable to prove that the artifacts were removed from Egypt prior to April 2016, which is in violation of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act."
“This seizure of historical importance highlights the wide variety of federal laws that CBP is responsible for enforcing. I am extremely proud of our officers’ hard work during and after the discovery of these ancient artifacts” said Port Director Michael Fox.
Federal agencies, including the Department of State, will be focusing on repatriation of the artifacts in the near future.
