Germany returns 22 stolen ancient artefacts to Iraq

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In January this year Germany returned 22 stolen ancient Sumerian artefacts to Iraq which had been recovered from a house near Frankfurt. The objects were received by Alaa al-Hashimi, the Iraqi Ambassador to Germany in Berlin. The items included inscribed stone tablets, pottery writing tablets, seals and other artefacts, but also six pottery foundation cones that were used on buildings to display the name of the owner, the description of the building, and the name of the god to which the inhabitants of the town paid homage. Archaeologists have been able to place the items precisely, saying that they came from the Sumerian cities of Girsu, Isin, Larsa and Umma. Officials suggested that they had most likely been plundered by soldiers in Iraq during the recent war there and had then been passed on to an unknown source in Germany. They were recovered in 2007 along with several hundred other archaeological artefacts from other countries, when a house near Frankfurt was raided on suspicion of containing stolen goods.

Source: Germany returns 22 stolen ancient artefacts to Iraq PUKmedia 23.01.2010