Greece recovers hundreds of looted artefacts
Trove of 351 repatriated objects, including a second-century bronze statue of Alexander the Great.
Greece said it has recovered hundreds of looted Neolithic to Byzantine artifacts, including a second-century bronze statue of Alexander the Great, from a notorious British antiques dealer, after a 17-year legal battle.
The battle to repatriate the hoard of 351 objects began in 2006 when authorities investigated Robin Symes’ company of the same name at home and abroad, Greek Culture Minister Lina Medoni said in a statement late Friday.
The recovery came years after Italian and Swiss police in 2016 recovered a shipment of archaeological artifacts stolen from Italy and stored by Symes, a key figure in the illegal antiquities trade with ties to Italian grave robbers.
The Italian artifacts were found in a storage unit in the Freeport of Geneva, but the Greek Ministry of Culture has not specified whether the recovery was related to the Italian capture.
The extensive collection repatriated to Greece includes notable pieces such as a Neolithic-era figurine carved from white stone, dating back to the fourth millennium BC.
Other significant finds include an early Cycladic statuette dating from between 3200 and 2700 BC, a damaged marble statue of a kore from the Archaic period of 550-500 BC. and an archaic marble head of a kore or a sphinx from 550-500 BC.
Greece has fought to repatriate looted artifacts from museums and private collections around the world.
Three fragments from the Parthenon temple in Athens, held for centuries by the Vatican, were returned to Greece in March in what Pope Francis has called a gesture of friendship.
The fragments of the monument are scattered in many renowned museums.
Reports also emerged earlier this year that the Greek government and the British Museum are in advanced talks over the return of the Parthenon marbles.
Also known as the Elgin Marbles, the ancient sculptures were taken from the Parthenon Temple in Athens by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century and have been in the possession of the British Museum ever since.