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Cyprus has successfully repatriated several ancient antiquities from the United States and Europe, continuing a long-running effort to recover objects illegally exported from the island.
According to an article by Kathimerini's Apostolos Kouroupakis, The Department of Antiquities, which closely monitors international auctions and private collections for illicitly removed artifacts, recently secured the return of three items: a clay chariot and a Bichrome IV flask from the Cypro-Archaic period (700–600 BC) from New York, and a Bichrome IV amphora from Belgium dating to 750–600 BC. The U.S. handover took place Aug. 6 at a ceremony organized by the Cypriot Embassy in Washington, while the Belgian amphora was returned the same day in Brussels. A Cypriot seal stone from Germany was also repatriated in June.
Authorities credit the coordinated work of the Cyprus Police, Interpol Nicosia, the Legal Service of the Republic, Eurojust, and foreign counterparts in securing the returns.
These latest recoveries follow previous repatriations, including 37 antiquities from Germany in July 2024, a Late Bronze Age juglet from Paris in November 2024, and more than 100 items returned from the United Kingdom in December 2024. The recovered objects span millennia, from Neolithic stone tools to medieval clay vessels, and reflect Cyprus’ ongoing commitment to protecting its cultural heritage.
A clay chariot and a Bichrome IV flask dating to the Cypro-Archaic period (700–600 BC) were returned from the U.S.
