Over 100 Cypriot antiquities, including pottery jewellery, coins and religious icons illegally removed from the island have now been repatriated from the UK, the antiquities department said on Monday.
The artefacts had been handed over to the Cyprus High Commission in London by UK police after being returned by various individuals who had them in their possession either under pressure or voluntarily.
The antiquities department said the items included stone tools from the Neolithic period dating from the 6th and 7th centuries BC, clay vessels dating from the Early Bronze Age circa 2000 BC, clay lamps from the Roman period, jewellery from various periods, bronze coins and religious icons mainly from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
A number of fragments of stone, clay and glass vessels and mosaics were also repatriated.
The antiquities, most of which had been illegally exported from Cyprus during the 1960s and 1970s, were handed over to the Cyprus High Commission following requests made to UK authorities through the office for combating the illicit possession and trafficking of antiquities or through Interpol to have them removed from auctions.
Other returns involved voluntary surrenders by individuals living in the UK “who wish to contribute to the protection of the cultural heritage of Cyprus”, the department said.
It added that Cyprus was continuing its efforts on all fronts to protect the island’s archaeological heritage.
This involves collaboration with international organisations and others to locate, identify, claim and repatriate antiquities that have been illegally exported.
Actions include the deployment of new technologies in the field, strengthening training for personnel on combating this kind of illegal trafficking and raising awareness among the public “whose role is considered crucial for the protection of our common cultural heritage”.
The department gave special thanks to the British High Commission in Nicosia, the Met police in London and the North Yorkshire police “whose assistance was crucial”.
One of the items, an ancient Cypriot zoomorphic urn dating from the bronze age was on Saturday formally handed back to the Cyprus government in London.
The urn was handed over by the director of the ArtAncient London gallery Costas Paraskevaides at a ceremony at the Cyprus High Commission which was attended by both high commissioner Kyriacos Kouros and Cyprus’ Culture Deputy Minister Vasiliki Kassianidou.
It had remained in Cyprus for most of history, having been recorded in Famagusta by the Republic’s antiquities department after independence.
This was just days after it was announced a total of 69 Cypriot artefacts which were in the possession of a private citizen in Austria are also to be returned to the island.
