The Egyptian Department of Antiquities has recovered a statue of Akhenaton, one of eight items stolen by looters from the Egyptian Museum on 28 January. It had been returned to the museum by Sabri Abdel-Rahman, a professor at the American University in Cairo, said the department.
The statue was found near a garbage bin in Tahrir Square during the mass pro-democracy protests by Abdel-Rhaman's son. Abdel-Rhaman immediately contacted the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism.
On the evening of 28 January, Egyptian police withdrew suddenly from the streets, including those guarding Cairo's famed antiquities museum in Tahrir Square, which gave looters the opportunity to break in.
Four statues have been returned but four others still missing.
The returned statue is made of colored limestone and depicts King Akhenaton, the pharaoh of unification, wearing a crown made of blue faience and holding a sacrificial table. It is 7cm tall and set on a base of alabaster.
