1 20 1 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/77763/archive/files/e51c0116bfb4ab8cf1bf577e7fb03dc3.PNG?Expires=1789603200&Signature=rz7o87ti6F9xD6yuX4MUbfj6lOA45BvS6qBoMkx0FDda4bS%7Emor7EM8gqSzxvXmdagAoj-zPoUVJ0Ev8e7AhLmXmH58kBp-UjKWdWpSdxi5-n2-wjdF1eFDzgox%7E19rw0r1jC8yoZ7RvygsQQ9hQQb1ShcRpWJjsmYNiLIIARdfrUTFw5P37RB8dCW67%7EtZEROEZeiakLRO74Hd-1uFO2VKawapjLXfbzugzN5bJRfjYT2mDE3y3wZ2R4D2dzFYNjjrLQXxTwoSzcDooCSkKqaO5dTvqsVhNkLo8keDX5Ka9bzaI1-heuhSxCAGh0x4UflfNASbVJvuxqUiSE4NrkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 6a3de8c5bbf92bef91987c51ebb0df57 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Object or Group Name The common English name of the object or group of objects. Sarcophagus of Ankhenmaat Alternate Name(s) Other names by which the object or group is known; these may be formal titles, museum titles or colloquial titles, if different from the above Object or Group Name. Green Coffin Case Summary Narrative summary of the object’s looting, identification by authorities and repatriation. In September 2022, the Manhattan DA's office announced the seizure and return of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus lid, known as the 'Green Coffin,' from the Houston Museum of Nature and Science. The unique sarcophagus lid dates to the Late Dynastic Period and belonged to a priest named Ankhenmaat, who worshipped the ram-headed god Heryshaf between 300 and 30 BCE in Faiyum, Egypt. The coffin was looted from a site in the nearby town of Abusir al-Malaq in 2008 and allegedly trafficked by a group of European dealers referred to as the Dib-Simonian network. Roben Dib and his long-term colleague Serop Simonian (a German of Armenian descent) were the alleged kingpins of an antiquities trafficking network that funneled numerous antiquities out of Egypt through Simonian's Dionysos gallery in Hamburg, Germany. In the case of the Green Coffin, the item was imported to the United States and sold to an unnamed private collector, who lent it to the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. It remained in Atlanta until 2013, when it was returned to the private collector, who then lent it to the Houston Museum of Nature and Science. It went on display there in the Hall of Ancient Egypt exhibit until its seizure as part of a broader investigation of the Dib-Simonian network launched in 2018. The Green Coffin was formally handed over by United States diplomats at a ceremony in Cairo in January, 2023. Both Simonian and Dib were later arrested in Germany for the alleged sale of looted Egyptian antiquities to leading museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Louvre Abu Dhabi. See Also Additional records within MOLA that are other objects of interest. These are objects related to a larger collection. Breakout records have omitted 2024 Value information and Number of Objects. <a href="https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/1226">Gold Coffin of Nedjemankh</a> Number of Objects Count of objects reflected in this record. 1 Description of Object(s) Provide a brief description of the object or objects in the record. A 9.5ft long wooden mummiform sarcophagus lid once belonging to the priest Ankhenmaat. It is painted mostly black, but the face on the lid is painted green. Lines of heiroglyphics decorate the lower half, with indications of water or insect damage. Object Type Type of object based on its function. Select from drop-down list. Funerary Object – coffins, mummy portraits, grave goods Size General size of the object (numbered 1-5); 1 - small or fragmentary (e.g. coins or sherds) 2 - medium (e.g. most vases) 3 - large (e.g. between a bread box and an adult) 4 - extra large (i.e. adult human sized) 5 - monumental (larger than an adult human) 5 Object Materials Material(s) that the object or group of objects is made of. Select from drop-down list. Wood Country of Origin The modern country of origin that this object came from (i.e. where it was found). Select from drop-down list. Egypt Culture Ancient culture associated with the object. Late Dynastic Period Egyptian Findspot Approximate site or location where the object was found (i.e. the archaeological provenience). Abusir al-Malaq, Egypt Date Looted Approximate year that the object or group of objects was excavated or stolen. 2008 or before Alleged Smuggler Person(s) who moved the object out of its country of origin. Roben Dib Dealer Person(s) who offered the object for sale. Serop Simonian (Switzerland) Museum Name Name of the institution that held this object before it was repatriated. Please use the official name of the institution. Houston Museum of Natural Sciences Michael C. Carlos Museum (Emory University) Year Acquired Year that the object was acquired by the institution. 2013 (Houston Museum of Natural Sciences) 2008 (Michael C. Carlos Museum) Museum Donation or Purchase? How did the museum acquire the object(s)? Select from drop-down list. Loan Last Known Price, Valuation or Estimate The most recent reported price, valuation or estimate of the object. Should be displayed in USD, alongside list price in original currency. USD $1,000,000 Year of Last Price Year of the most recent reported price, valuation or estimate of the object. 2022 Repatriated? Repatriation status of the object. Select from drop-down list. Yes Year Returned Year of the return of the object to its country of origin. 2022 Sending Country Country from which the object was returned during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. USA Returning Entity Institution or individual that returned the object to its country of origin (not a law enforcement agency). Houston Museum of Natural Sciences Prosecuting Entity The prosecutorial entity involved in the object’s repatriation. Manhattan District Attorney's Office Law Enforcement Entity The law enforcement entities that investigated the object before its repatriation. Homeland Security Investigations - New York Operation Name The trafficking network, or the name given to investigation by law enforcement entity. Dib Simonian Network Receiving Country Country that received the object during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. Egypt Reason for Return Why the object was returned. Select from list: Law enforcement seizure; court ordered civil forfeiture; claim from country of origin; voluntary return absent a forfeiture or claim; or other. Law Enforcement Seizure Criminal Behaviors Alleged Criminal behavior associated with the case. Please select all that apply. Modern conflict looting Organized crime Sources Reliable sources of information related to the object and its repatriation. Preference to primary sources (court records, documents, archival sources) and authoritative secondary sources (media reports, blogs etc.). For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. D.A. Bragg Returns Green Coffin from The Houston Museum of Natural Sciences to the People of Egypt <a href="https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-returns-green-coffin-from-the-houston-museum-of-natural-sciences-to-the-people-of-egypt/">https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-returns-green-coffin-from-the-houston-museum-of-natural-sciences-to-the-people-of-egypt/</a> How a stolen Egyptian sarcophagus ended up at a Houston museum <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/stolen-egyptian-coffin-houston-museum-17694073.php">https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/stolen-egyptian-coffin-houston-museum-17694073.php</a> Research Notes Any additional notes about research questions, issues or further research needed. get SW and other docs from DANY Status Completion status of MOLA record. Select from drop-down list: Stub (Needs basic research), Incomplete (Missing key fields), In progress (Has been assigned), Ready for review (Complete; awaiting peer review) and Completed (Ready to publish). Only Completed records are made Public. Completed MOLA Contributor(s) Person(s) who contributed to the information in this record. Anonymous is an acceptable entry. Jason Felch Peer Reviewed By Person who peer reviewed this record. Damien Huffer Creation Date Year this object was created, in years BCE/CE; use circa if presenting a range. Use specific year, decade or century. circa 664-332 BCE Alleged Looter Person(s) who removed the object from the findspot or original location. Unknown Gallery Name of the gallery, shop or dealership where the object was offered for sale, with the name of the city where the gallery was located in parentheses. Dionysos Gallery, Hamburg Expert Review Person(s) who analyzed the object or wrote about its authenticity, value or significance. Include here credit to people who identified the object as looted (relevant publications can be listed in Sources). Dr. Tom Hardwick (HMNS) Museum Curator Curator who facilitated the acquisition of the object. Possibly Dr. Melinda Hartwig (Carlos Museum) Dr. Tom Hardwick (Houston Museum of Nature and Science) Value in 2024 US Dollars Value in 2024 US Dollars, adjusted for inflation. Use inflation calculator here: https://www.oanda.com/currency-converter/en/?from=EUR&to=USD&amount=1 $1,067,233 Current Location Place where the object is currently held. Provide as much information as possible (Institution, City and Country, when known). Cairo, Egypt Images Source of the images uploaded to this record. Images should be labeled A, B, C, etc. For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/stolen-egyptian-coffin-houston-museum-17694073.php">https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/stolen-egyptian-coffin-houston-museum-17694073.php</a> Image Captions Write a brief caption for each image included, providing context for what is shown. Images should be labeled A, B, C, etc. An ancient wooden sarcophagus is displayed during a handover ceremony at the foreign ministry in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sarcophagus of Ankhenmaat Carlos Museum Egypt Houston Museum of Natural Science