From Ahmed Al-Amami

TRIPOLI, June 15 (Reuters) - The National Museum in the Libyan capital Tripoli announced the return of the Neolithic mummy of Takherkhwi, more than 20 years after it was sent to Italy for restoration and studies following its discovery in the far south of the Libyan desert. It is a unique piece in Africa "due to its exceptional state of preservation."

The National Museum posted on its Facebook page yesterday, Sunday, a picture of the mummy, which studies estimate to be seven thousand years old, inside a black base, surrounded by the head of the Department of Antiquities, Mohamed Al-Shakshouki, the Italian ambassador to Libya, Gianluca Albrini, and others.

Al-Shakshouki told Reuters that a joint Libyan-Italian mission discovered the mummy in 2003 in the Takhrkhuri area of the Acacus archaeological mountains.

He added that Takhrkhuri was transferred to La Sapienza University in the Italian capital, Rome, in 2004 "to conduct practical studies and restoration."

He added, "Studies have shown that these remains are naturally preserved and belong to a woman in her mid-thirties, dating back to the Neolithic period, about seven thousand years ago."

Libyan-Italian coordination

Libya is rich in archaeological sites and has five sites registered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): the archaeological site of Cyrene, the archaeological site of Leptis Magna, the archaeological site in Sabratha, the rock art site in Tadrart Acacus, and the ancient city of Ghadames.

In December, the Government of National Unity in Tripoli reopened the National Museum, known as the Red Castle, which had been closed in 2011 during the NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi after a four-decade rule.

The Italian Embassy said in a statement yesterday on the X platform, "Restoration and scientific research work has been completed in Italy on a unique artifact in the African continent, given its exceptional state of preservation and its discovery in an environment that was still intact at the time of its discovery."

She attributed this to coordination between the Italian energy company Eni, La Sapienza University, and the Libyan Department of Antiquities.

Al-Shakshouki explained that the Antiquities Authority has been trying since then to obtain funding in order to carry out restoration and studies on the mummy, "but to no avail."

He said, "Through the efforts made by the Italian Embassy in Tripoli, and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Government of National Unity, support was obtained from Eni, and the studies and restoration were carried out in 2022."

* The mummy will be on public display in July

He added that the public will be allowed to see the mummy of Takhrukhuri by the end of July after it is displayed at an official reception in the museum's temporary exhibition hall.

The Italian Embassy and the Libyan Department of Antiquities explained that the artifact was returned to Libya aboard an Italian military aircraft. The embassy stated that the mummy's return "is a significant achievement of cooperation between Italy and Libya and a further example of how cultural collaboration can contribute to strengthening relations between the two countries."

In March 2022, Libya recovered nine ancient artifacts, including funerary stone heads, jars and pottery, which were returned by the United States after being smuggled out of Libya.

All the pieces had been illegally removed and shipped to the United States, but archaeologists cooperating with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York were able to identify them, and they were returned to the Libyan Museum in Tripoli.