WASHINGTON: The United States will formally return an illegally imported 3,500-year-old tablet recounting the epic of Gilgamesh to Iraq this week, the United Nations’ cultural body UNESCO announced Monday.
The ancient tablet, which a wealthy US collector had acquired along with other Iraqi artefacts to display in the Washington Museum of the Bible, will be handed over to Iraqi officials at the Smithsonian Institution on September 23.
UNESCO called the repatriation of the tablet, along with 17,000 other artefacts sent back to Iraq in July, “a significant victory in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural objects.”
“The theft and illicit trafficking of ancient artefacts continue to be a key funding source for terrorist groups and other organised criminal organisations,” the Paris-based agency said in a statement.
It said that when the Islamic State extremist group controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria over 2014-2019, Iraqi archaeological sites and museums were systematically looted.
The rare fragment, which recounts a dream sequence from the Gilgamesh epic in Akkadian cuneiform script, is one of many ancient artefacts from Iraq and the Middle East collected by David Green, the billionaire owner of the Hobby Lobby craft store chain.
It was seized by the US Justice Department in 2019, two years after Green opened the museum dedicated to ancient Christian history in downtown Washington.
US to return 3,500-year-old ‘Gilgamesh’ tablet to Iraq
- UNESCO called the repatriation a 'victory' in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects.
- The rare fragment recounts a dream sequence from the Gilgamesh epic in Akkadian cuneiform script.
Today's Headlines
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
The Fourth of July is a sacred day in our country. A day of history, of hope, remembrance and resolve with promise and possibilities. Before me stands monuments of the…
The Gulf country is setting a new benchmark for supporting working mothers by doubling the mandated maternity leave to 120 days, Kathryn Martin VFS Global tell TRENDS.
The government would provide thirty-five percent of the investments The rest of it, sixty-five percent, will come from the private sector Saudi Arabia expects to generate $150 billion from investments…
PwC forecasts that AI could contribute US$320 billion to Middle Eastern economies by 2030, with healthcare predicted to see some of the largest gains relative to its current size
The region, fueled by ambition and massive investment, is rapidly advancing in technology and infrastructure, aiming to secure a leading role in the 4IR.