Cyprus antiquities returned from Australia

A total of 36 Cyprus antiquities have been repatriated from Australia to the island, it was announced on Wednesday.

The move follows an initiative carried out by Australian government in cooperation with the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, and the Cypriot authorities.

The artifacts belong to various chronological periods, from the Chalcolithic Age to the Roman period, and include stone tools, pottery and glass vessels, clay lamps, bronze objects and stone sculptures.

Head of the antiquities department Marina Solomides-Ieronymidou oversaw the repatriation process. The artifacts will now be on display at the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia.

They will also be digitised by the antiquities department.

During her recent visit to Australia, where she finalised the repatriation efforts, Solomides-Ieronymidou was invited to give lectures on various topics, such as the role and work of Cyprus’ antiquities department, as well as the measures taken to combat the looting and illegal trafficking of the island’s cultural heritage.

Furthermore, a seminar on the illegal trafficking of cultural heritage was organised at the Chau Chak Wing Museum of the University of Sydney, during which Solomides-Ieronymidou and senior police superintendent Michalis Gavrielides participated with a series of presentations and answered questions from students and the audience.

“We want to express our warmest gratitude to the High Commission of Australia in Cyprus for their assistance and exceptional hospitality,” the antiquities department said.

“As the competent department of the Republic for the protection and management of Cyprus’ cultural heritage, we will continue our intensive efforts to enhance the protection of our cultural heritage and promote the repatriation of cultural goods to their places of origin.

“In this context, the cooperation of all competent authorities, both nationally and internationally, is deemed of utmost importance. Cultural goods constitute an invaluable and irreplaceable part of our heritage, not only at a local level, but also the entire world,” it added.