U.S. returns parts of queen’s temple, ancient gold coin and other rare smuggled artifacts to Egypt

The U.S. has returned 25 rare Egyptian artifacts, including sarcophagus lids, a Greco‑Roman portrait, and temple fragments believed to belong to Queen Hatshepsut, after a three‑year recovery effort. The items, spanning over 5,500 years of history, were seized in multiple investigations and held at Egypt’s New York consulate before being sent to Cairo. Egypt has recovered nearly 30,000 artifacts over the past decade, many looted during the 2011 uprising and later found on the international market, CBS News has reported.