A 7,000-year-old prehistoric mummy from Libya’s Saharan past returned to the country Sunday after more than 20 years in Italy, touching down at Mitiga Airport in Tripoli aboard an Italian military aircraft.
The mummy, known as “Takarkori” or TK H1, was found at a rock shelter in the Tadrart Acacus region of southern Libya by the Italian Archaeological Mission in the Sahara.
Its return on June 14, 2026, ended its long stay in Italy, where researchers carried out years of scientific study on the ancient remains. After completing all official and customs procedures, the mummy was transferred to the National Museum in Tripoli.
The “Takarkori” remains date to what researchers call the “Green Sahara” period, a time when the Sahara had a far greener landscape and supported pastoral communities.
The mummy survived in remarkably good condition, making it unlike any other find on the African continent. That allowed researchers to study ancient DNA and piece together how Neolithic communities lived across North Africa.
Libya’s prehistoric mummy set for public display at the Red Castle
The restoration and scientific work carried out in Italy involved the Italian Archaeological Mission in the Sahara and the University of Rome, with ENI’s coordination and logistical backing from Italy’s air force and cultural ministry.
The prehistoric mummy from Libya is expected to go on public view at Tripoli’s Red Castle by late July. The complex houses the National Museum, which had been shut for over ten years before reopening last December.
Officials said the return fits into Libya’s wider push to recover and protect its national heritage while deepening cultural ties with Italy.
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