A nearly 2,000-year-old Roman grave marker, discovered in a New Orleans backyard, has been officially returned to Italy. The marble epitaph, dating back roughly 1,900 years, was handed over to Italian officials in Rome on Wednesday during a ceremony led by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The ancient artifact, a significant piece of Roman history, had been missing from a museum near Rome for decades before its unexpected rediscovery in the United States. Its return marks a successful collaboration between international law enforcement agencies and cultural heritage protection efforts.
The ceremony in Rome not only saw the repatriation of the ancient gravestone but also another antiquity that had been recovered in the United States. Such repatriations underscore the ongoing global efforts to combat the illicit trade of cultural heritage items and restore them to their countries of origin.
The recovery and return of these historical artefacts are crucial for preserving cultural identity and ensuring that these pieces of history are accessible for study and public display in their rightful context. The Italian Government has long been at the forefront of advocating for the return of its stolen or illegally exported cultural assets.