Greece handed the Republic of Cyprus 48 returned archaeological artifacts

On Tuesday, June 2, an official ceremony was held to hand over 48 ancient artifacts to the Cyprus Museum, returned from Greece. The historical items were presented to Cyprus Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou by Greece’s Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni within the framework of a bilateral agreement on the protection of cultural heritage.

The repatriated objects include clay vessels and limestone figurines spanning a long historical period — from the Early Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. These artifacts became part of a private collection in Greece in the 1960s and 1970s. After the collector’s death, his heirs voluntarily handed the collection over to the Greek authorities for verification of its provenance and subsequent return to Cyprus. The sides noted that this step is an important practical example of joint efforts to combat the illegal trafficking of antiquities.