Greece has recovered 11 ancient artifacts valued at nearly $1 million from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said on Tuesday, highlighting ongoing efforts to repatriate cultural treasures.
The antiquities were handed over by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, Chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit and Senior Trial Counsel, during a ceremony in Athens.
The repatriation was the result of long-term cooperation between the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Greece’s culture ministry, according to a government statement.
“In recent years, the culture ministry has succeeded in repatriating hundreds of stolen cultural goods,” Mendoni said. “Each repatriation has special significance, as it is directly linked to our collective and individual identity.”
She emphasized Greece’s broader efforts to reclaim its cultural heritage. “Greece does not seek to empty museums that host and exhibit works of ancient Greek art. However, we do demand the return of all illegally exported cultural treasures and the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, a unique case. Their violent removal destroyed the integrity of the monument, a symbol of Western civilization,” she added.
Among the 11 returned artifacts are a marble male figurative head (1st century AD), an Attic marble votive relief (4th century BC), a marble basin with a stopper, a bronze female statuette (3rd century BC), a gold ring depicting Poseidon with a trident (1st century BC – 1st century AD), and a Mycenaean clay female figurine (1300-1200 BC).
Following the handover, Mendoni awarded Bogdanos the “Commander of the Order of the Phoenix” medal on behalf of the Hellenic Republic for his role in recovering and repatriating Greek antiquities.