Yes, you read that headline correctly.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday that they recently seized ancient Egyptian mummy linens during an enforcement operation at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron.
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The seized artifacts are believed to be from the Ptolemaic Dynasty 305-30 BC and 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, CBP said.
On May 25, CBP officers identified a shipment on a Canadian mail truck that was selected for an enforcement examination at the Centralized Examination Station in Marysville.
An inspection of a selected package revealed five jars of ancient Egyptian mummy linen. CBP began to coordinate with a Washington, DC based archaeological organization in determining the admissibility of the presumed antiquities.
“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.
Officials said they will look to return the artifacts in the near future.