More Than 1,000 Relics Remain Missing After Mass Egyptian Uprising

  • Share
  • Read Later
A coffinette for the viscera of Tutankhamun is displayed at a museum in San Francisco, California. (Luckily, this is safe and sound.)

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Egyptian officials revealed that since the political uprising in January, more than 1,000 Egyptian artifacts have gone missing.

Looting concerns arose during the protests earlier this year after unconfirmed reports surfaced that many were taking advantage of the situation — and of Egypt’s history. It turns out not all relics were adequately safeguarded, and officials now believe they have been stolen.

(More on TIME.com: See the fall and rise of Mubarak)

Thieves apparently targeted the tombs at Giza and the Egyptian museum in Cairo. The Cairo museum holds most of the King Tutankhamen collection.

Egyptian official Zahi Hawass noted that “About 1,000 objects were stolen, none of them major items. There is an inventory of everything and it will be difficult for the items to leave the country.” The list of stolen Egyptian relics, which has not been made public, will be given to UNESCO.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of the Egyptian uprising)