Five ancient Cretan artifacts return from US after 60 years
Five ancient works of Cretan metalwork dating to the 7th century BC have been repatriated to Crete from the United States after roughly six decades abroad, according to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The objects — two helmets and three mitrai (crescent-shaped chest guards) — were looted from an illegal excavation in 1964 and will now join the museum’s collections.
According to the museum’s announcement, the items form part of the defensive equipment worn by Cretan aristocrats during the archaic period. They originated from an extensive illicit excavation carried out in October 1964 on the hill of Profitis Ilias, at Afrati in the Heraklion regional unit.
Other objects from the same site already on display
Other ancient objects from the same excavation site are already held and displayed at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, the announcement said, and were recently presented in the temporary exhibition “Hecatompolis: The World of Archaic Crete.”
The museum said the identity of the Cretan artifacts was confirmed through systematic, combined scientific research conducted by the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Goods, in cooperation with services of the Ministry of Culture.
The museum described the repatriation as “an act of justice” that will contribute to a fuller understanding of the archaeological context from which the objects were violently removed nearly sixty years ago.
The museum did not specify further details regarding the legal process that led to the objects’ return or a timeline for their public display. Readers interested in Crete’s archaeological heritage can find more about ongoing digital access to ancient sites, such as the Lato archaeological site’s new self-guided audio tour.
