Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Stolen Greek Artifacts Valued at $3 Million Returned to Greece

Fifteen ancient Greek artifacts, spanning nearly 5,000 years and valued at approximately $3 million, have been returned to Greece by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

The collection includes jewelry, a marble bust, and decorated bronze helmets and waist guards, part of an ongoing effort to recover stolen antiquities.

Greece's culture minister accepted the items, highlighting the global concern over antiquities trafficking. The DA's unit has recovered over 6,400 antiquities for 40 countries since 2011.

Highlights include five bronze military items from the late seventh century B.C.E., unearthed in Crete. Some will be reunited with finds from the same illegal excavation.

The oldest objects date to around 2700 B.C.E., with other items including pottery, a bracelet, a necklace, and a Roman marble bust (14-68 C.E.).

These artifacts were reportedly smuggled into the U.S. and seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has cooperated with the investigation.

The DA's office has recovered over $95 million worth of artifacts from the Met since 2017.

Concerns have been raised about recurring seizures at the museum and the loss of historical knowledge due to looting.

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