Greece Reclaims Three Antiquities from the United States

Photo source: Culture Ministry

Three significant antiquities have been repatriated from the United States to Greece, the Greek Culture Ministry announced on Tuesday. The artifacts, previously owned by an American citizen, were exported from Greece at an unknown time.

According to the ministry, the repatriation is the culmination of an extensive campaign over the past few years aimed at encouraging the voluntary return of such “sensitive” items to their countries of origin.

The returned items include a marble headstone from the 4th century B.C., a fragment of a small burial temple dating between 330 and 320 B.C., and a small copper statue of a young man, likely an athlete, from the later 2nd century B.C.

The artifacts were turned over at the Greek Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, before being sent back to Greece.

“The repatriation of antiquities belonging to Greece is a matter of national importance and a high political priority for the Ministry of Culture,” Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said. “This is a clear outcome of bilateral agreements aimed at combating and managing the illegal trafficking of cultural treasures, which Greece has established with other countries”.

The marble headstone, believed to have been sculpted in Thessaly, features an image of a woman holding a jewelry case. The burial temple fragment, made of Pentelic marble from Attica, depicts a young girl standing with her head turned to the right, dressed in a tunic. This depiction is similar to that of the young Agnostrati, a figure on a small temple headstone from Kallithea currently housed at the National Archaeological Museum.

The small copper statue, standing 24 centimeters tall, portrays a nude young man standing on his right foot. His short, curly hair, typical of athletes of the era, falls freely to his shoulders.

Minister Mendoni expressed her gratitude to all involved in the retrieval and repatriation of the antiquities, including the Greek Foreign Ministry.