The United States hands over stolen artifacts from Tyre to Lebanon

The pieces were delivered to the Lebanese Consulate in New York, and are expected to be returned to Lebanon as soon as possible, according to Agence France-Presse.

The US Embassy announced, via the “X” platform, the handover of the artifacts to Lebanon, noting that this “reflects the strong partnership between the United States and Lebanon in combating illegal trafficking in cultural property.”

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Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salama pointed out in a statement that “all evidence indicates that the artifacts were found in Tire during illegal excavations.”

He explained, "These pieces have unique artistic, decorative and technical characteristics that are typical of lead coffin-making workshops in Tyre, which were among the most active and widely productive workshops during ancient times."

The New York FBI statement indicated that “these pieces, which date back to the Roman era between the second and third centuries BC, were stolen during illegal excavations in or around Tire, and then smuggled,” without specifying the date of the alleged smuggling.

The pieces were found in the sales catalogs of the “Arte Primitivo” exhibition, which specializes in selling antiquities, and Lebanon announced that it had decided to pursue the case with the American authorities.