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Missing Object From Archeological Site Returned


Guest Scanderbeg

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Guest Scanderbeg

http://www.icaa.org.al/missingantiquities/success.html

One success story is the recovery of the head of the empress Livia in 2000 (Butrint Archaeological Museum, Inv. 9). The head is one of the original sculptures excavated by the Italian Archaeological Mission from the theatre at Butrint and formed part of an imperial portrait group which, besides Livia, included the Emperor Augustus, Agrippa (his general in the battle against Mark Antony and Cleopatra) and a fine head of Apollo (the patron deity of Augustus). The latter is also traditionally known by the name of the

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Guest Scanderbeg

MISSING OBJECTS SEIZED IN GREECE

On 4th April 1991 the museum at Butrint was raided and several major sculptures stolen. The Albanian Institute of Archaeology alerted the Greek museum service and sent descriptions and photographs of the objects. As a result five of the sculptures were identified and seized from criminal gangs: (i) a portrait head of Agrippa (BAM inv. 583); (ii) a portrait head of a young woman (BAM inv. 50); (iii) the head from a statue in the type of the Large Herculaneum Woman (BAM inv. 584); (iv) a headless figure of Nike or young girl (BAM inv. 455); (v) a torso of Apollo (BAM inv. 4).

 

Dr Katerina Hadzis, a Greek archaeologist leading a project at Butrint, acted as an important link between the Greek authorities and the Albanian Institute of Archaeology in the early days after the seizure of the objects. With her help, members of the Institute of Archaeology were able to visit Greece and see the objects in safe storage. Initially the objects could not be released until criminal charges had been successfully completed against the gangs responsible for their illegal transportation. Prof. Muzafer Korkuti, Dr Ilir Gjipali and Prof. Neritan Ceka kept in close contact with the Greek authorities and, in turn, kept the Albanian Ministry of Culture informed. The Ministry played a crucial role in negotiating the return of the objects from 1998 onwards.

 

In July 2003 three of the five pieces - the three heads - were brought back to Albania by Professor Konstantinos Zachos, Ephor for the province of Ioannina. He was greeted by the Albanian Minister of Culture, Arta Dade, the Greek Ambassador and a large welcoming party of officials and archaeologists from the Anglo-Albanian research project.

 

Prof. Zachos had visited Albania for the first time a month before to take part in an international sculpture workshop organised by the Butrint Foundation. The workshop had included visits to the sites of Butrint and Phoenic

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