LEFKOSIA –
Eighteen Cypriot antiquities dating from the Early Bronze Age to the Classical period have been repatriated from the United States after being identified in an online auction, the Department of Antiquities announced. The artefacts were handed over to the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Washington on 23 February 2026.
According to the Department, the items were detected by its Archaeological Officers during routine monitoring of illegal online trafficking and were withdrawn from sale following consultation with the auction house.
The antiquities consist of two vessels of the Early Bronze Age (2500-1900 BC), 11 vessels of the Middle Bronze Age (1900-1600 BC), three vessels of the Cypro-Archaic Ι period (750-600 BC), one vessel of the Cypro-Archaic ΙΙ period (600-480 BC) and one limestone male statue head of the 4th century BC.
The Department of Antiquities expressed gratitude to Sloans and Kenyon Auctioneers and Appraisers and to the possessors for their voluntary return of the antiquities to their country of origin, as well as to the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Washington for their cooperation and the coordination of the repatriation procedures.
