Throughout 2026, Egypt continued its efforts to recover Egyptian antiquities that had been illegally exported from the country.

So far this year, dozens of artifacts have been returned from the United States, belonging to various periods of Egyptian civilization.

The recovered pieces included statues, ushabti figurines, amulets, scarabs, fragments of sarcophagi, and funerary equipment, as well as artifacts dating back to the Pharaonic, Roman, and Coptic eras.

The year 2026 began with the recovery of seven Egyptian artifacts from the United States in January.

These included a ushabti figurine, an amulet of the god Set, a stone scarab, two stone statue heads, a mummified falcon head, and a mummified fish.

The recovery process is part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to track down illegally exported artifacts and work towards their return to their country of origin.

In April 2026, the Egyptian Consul General in New York received thirteen rare artifacts after successful Egyptian-American efforts proved their illegal removal from Egypt.

The artifacts date back to various periods of Egyptian civilization, confirming that recovery efforts are not limited to famous royal pieces but extend to all types of Egyptian archaeological heritage.

In June, Egypt announced the return of four rare artifacts from the United States, in a new operation within the framework of Egyptian-American cooperation in combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

These operations are of particular importance because proving ownership of the artifacts does not stop at identifying their archaeological significance, but also requires tracing their history and proving the absence of legal documentation proving their removal from Egypt.

The most significant recovery of the year occurred in August, and the collection included sculptures, amulets, funerary equipment, and other artifacts belonging to various periods of Egyptian civilization, including the Pharaonic, Roman, and Coptic eras.