On Tuesday, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) returned 22 antiquities to Greece. The cache includes decorated pottery from the 8th through the 4th centuries BCE that had been seized during an illegal antiquities trafficking investigation in and around Tel Aviv in 2020.
The ceremony took place at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and was attended by Lina Mendoni, the Greek Minister of Culture; Pninat Yanai, the Israeli Ambassador to Greece; and Amir Ganor, director of the IAA’s Anti Theft Prevention Unit. This handover marks the first time Israel has returned contested items to Greece.
In a social media post, the IAA states that the 2020 seizure involved raids of an unnamed gallery, warehouses, and apartments which uncovered “thousands of archaeological items from Israel and around the world.” The investigation was prompted by suspicion of looting at ancient sites in the Mediterranean. The IAA does not clarify why it took Israel six years to return the items to Greece, or if objects belonging to other nations are also in the process of being repatriated. It is also not clear from where in Greece the items were looted.
Among the items back on Greek soil are black- and red-figure vessels, some with handles, decorated with scenes from Greek mythology, and would have been used in everyday life or as burial offerings. Among the vases of varying shapes and sizes (15 Attic vessels and six Corinthian, according to the Jerusalem Post) was a bronze female figure.
Lina Mendoni, the Greek Minister of Culture, said that “this return lays the foundation for deepening cooperation between our countries in the field of protecting cultural heritage. Every return of antiquities to their country of origin also carries with it a broad moral and symbolic significance.”
She added that the return, “reminds us all that protecting cultural heritage is a shared responsibility, and that the effective fight against the illegal trade in antiquities requires cooperation between countries, mutual trust, and a commitment to upholding the law and strengthening heritage.”