Ancient Egypt: Stolen sarcophagus returned to Egypt

Image source, EPA

An ancient Egyptian artefact has been returned home to the country's capital - Cairo - after being on display in a museum in the US.

This sarcophagus - the stone coffin the mummy is stored in - is called the 'Green Coffin' and is thought to have belonged to a priest called Ankenmaat.

It was stolen from Egypt and was smuggled into America back in 2008 and it's been in the Houston Museum of Natural Science since 2013.

Image source, EPA

Why has the 'Green Coffin' been returned?

Egypt's government has been working towards stopping artefacts being stolen from the country while also claiming back items that have been stolen in the past.

It's called repatriation, which is simply the act of returning something to its own country.

Other countries around the world are also calling for repatriation of their heritage items from museums elsewhere.

Officials in Egypt say repatriation helps to boost its tourism sector which is a huge source of income for the country.