There was a recent article in the German newspaper
Der Spiegel about a 1924 document found by the German Oriental Association, whose author implies that the archaeologist who found the famous bust of Nefertiti at Tell el Amarna in 1912, Ludwig Borchardt, used deception to secure the bust for Germany. If this turns out to be true and not just somebody's opinion in 1924, it may help Cairo's call for the return of Nefertiti.
A part of me laughs at the size of that "if", yes, it is a big word and one that I am very fond of myself; however, there has always been the issue that the official of Egypt's antiquities service in charge of the division of finds did not do the job properly. As for what statute of limitations exists in this case, that may perhaps be the bigger issue? Whether those statutes are recognized by either party may be a nest of bureaucracy unto itself.
Add to this, I can see the director of the Neues Museums name being destroyed both academically and publicly scorned in Germany, that the star was handed over on that person's watch? Which other museum would hire that director, or wouldn't other museums fear that if they hired that person, they might do the same to their star pieces?
That is even a side point as to who is going to retrieve it on behalf of Cairo is another nest? Dr. Hawass may have difficulty receiving the proper documents to even enter Germany. So how about the head of UNESCO Irina Bokova, of course, after a smart caviar and champagne lunch.
There is little doubt in me it is unlikely that a small, mismanaged country like Egypt can do anything to impress upon an economic giant like Germany.
So it seems that the 1924 document may not even hold any weight whatsoever, even if it is valid, and it appears unfortunate for Egypt that in the end, laws are meant to be broken, and as grotesque a message as that sends few care when they are standing in front of the
beautiful Nefertiti in her beautiful room at the
Neues Museum!
