What for decades was considered little more than a dusty curiosity hanging on a wall in a Nottinghamshire home has now been identified as a 2,500-year-old Egyptian funerary statue fragment, linked to one of archaeology’s most significant early excavations — and to a long-lost pyramid site.
The remarkable find, made by valuer Richard Griza of Arthur Johnson & Sons auctioneers, emerged from an eclectic trove collected by a local doctor whose tastes ranged from fossilized shark teeth to antique sword handles. But one item — a 15cm-square basalt head, long displayed without fanfare — turned out to be a rare and richly documented piece of ancient Egyptian history.
“I saw it over my shoulder, and I almost couldn’t believe my eyes,” Griza said. “It’s a privilege to handle such an item — especially one with such compelling provenance.”
That provenance includes a treasure trove of forgotten documentation hidden inside the wooden mount of the statue, which had gone unnoticed for generations. When the head was removed from the wall, drawings, letters, and excavation records were found tucked inside the mount — revealing that the piece was discovered during Sir Flinders Petrie’s 1888 excavations at Hawara, a site near the Faiyum Oasis in Egypt.
The head is believed to be part of an “ushabti”, a funerary figurine intended to serve as a laborer for the deceased in the afterlife. Dated to Egypt’s 26th Dynasty (circa 664–525 BCE), the basalt carving would have been placed in the tomb of a nobleman named Horuta, whose final resting place lay near the now-ruined pyramid of Pharaoh Amenemhat II.
“It is so rare to get an item with this level of documentation,” said Griza. “We know where it was found, who found it, and how it came to Britain. That kind of historical clarity is a dream for any collector or institution.”
The discovery not only underscores the enduring legacy of Flinders Petrie, widely considered the father of modern Egyptology, but also highlights how many historical artifacts remain hidden in plain sight — often overlooked by those who inherit them. Petrie, who championed scientific precision in archaeology, is renowned for his meticulous documentation and his belief that even the most mundane finds could tell a story.
According to Griza, the late doctor’s niece admitted the head was never given special treatment: “They didn’t pay much attention to it. It was just another thing to dust.”
The basalt head will go to auction on May 24 at Arthur Johnson and Sons with a conservative estimate of £1,500 to £2,500, though given the significance of its provenance and connection to early scientific archaeology, bidding may far exceed expectations, according to the BBC.
As for the rest of the collection — including a fossilized Megalodon tooth — may now find a permanent home in a museum collection.
