Egypt’s new military authorities have reissued the license to Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martinez to resume the excavations in the search for the tomb of Cleopatra at Taposiris Magna. Martinez also revealed the theft of many of the artifacts she had already unearthed and the “disappearance” of the excavation equipment during the year-long turmoil in Egypt.

A radar survey of the temple of Taposiris Magna, west of Alexandria in Egypt, was completed last month. The radar revealed three possible areas of interest where a tomb may be located. These locations have been passed to the archaeological team who will begin excavation of the targets next week. The most important recent development at Taposiris Magna has been the discovery of a large, previously unknown cemetery outside the temple enclosure.

The newfound black granite statue-which stands about 1.8 meters without its head-is thought to be of King Ptolemy IV, because an unattached cartouche carved of the same type of stone and bearing his name was found near the figure's base. In addition to the headless statue, the Egyptian-Dominican dig team found an inscription, written in Greek and hieroglyphics, in the foundation deposits of one of the temple's corners.