A Polish oil company worker has discovered a World War II-era Kittyhawk P-40 crashed in Egypt’s Western Desert. The Royal Air Force pilot of the plane is thought to have survived the June 1942 crash because his parachute had been used to make a shelter. No human remains have been found. The Egyptian military has removed the plane’s guns and ammunition, but British historians are concerned that treasure hunters will strip the plane before the British government can recover it. “The scene is close to a smuggling line from Sudan and Libya. We will need to go there with the Egyptian army because it is a dangerous area,” said Captain Paul Collins, the British defense attaché to Egypt.

Archaeology-related crimes have increased dramatically in Egypt since last year’s political upheaval. Illegal digs have occurred at major archaeological sites because of a lack of security, in addition to illegal digs on private property. Police officers have also seen a rise in the illicit trade of antiquities and smuggling attempts. At least 35 people have died while treasure hunting or have been killed in disputes over artifacts. “It is no longer a crime motivated by poverty. It’s naked greed and it involves educated people,” said Major General Abdel-Rahim Hassan, commander of Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Police Department.

A half-sized replica of a 3,500-year-old boat discovered in Dover, England, sank over the weekend. The original had been made of oak planks sewn together with yew lashings, and archaeologists attempted to build the copy using Bronze Age tools and methods. “We have come an awfully long way in the past three and a half months and we think we are nearly there,” said team leader, archaeologist Peter Clark.

In Winter Garden, Florida, human remains, pottery, and textiles were found during the digging of a swimming pool. The bones and artifacts are thought to be from the Chancay culture of coastal Peru, and date to between 1200 and 1470 A.D. They had been buried with pieces of newspaper dated 1978. “These were placed here by modern people who somehow acquired them,”  explained Daniel Seinfield of the Bureau of Archaeological Research. He has recommended that the items be returned to Peru.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Monday, May 14, 2012. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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