Dubai: Jordan has recovered a rare 14,000-year-old archaeological artefact from Australia, completing the return of three fragments believed to form the world's oldest known large-scale sculpture.
Ayman Safadi, Jordanian Minister of Foreign Minister, received the carved stone fragment on Tuesday during a ceremony at the National Gallery of Australia, held on the sidelines of King Abdullah II's state visit to the country.
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The artefact, made from mudstone, is one of three sections of an intricately carved architectural stone panel dating back approximately 14,000 years, according to Jordan's Foreign Ministry.
The ministry said the fragment was discovered in 1983 during archaeological excavations conducted by a joint expedition from the University of Sydney and Wooster College.
It was subsequently transferred to the National Gallery of Australia in 1985 under arrangements agreed between Jordan and Australia at the time.
The ministry described the artefact as being of exceptional archaeological and historical significance, saying the three fragments together constitute what is believed to be the oldest known large-scale sculpture in the world.
The other two sections are preserved at the Jordan Museum in Amman and Dar Al Saraya Museum in Irbid, about 89km north of the capital.
During the handover ceremony, attended by Australian Special Envoy for the Arts Susan Templeman and senior cultural officials, Safadi praised cooperation between Jordan and Australia in archaeological excavation and heritage preservation.
He thanked the Australian government and the National Gallery for facilitating the artefact's return.
Jordan is home to more than 100,000 discovered archaeological sites, of which over 15,000 have been officially registered, according to the country's Department of Antiquities.