FROM KOH-I-NOOR TO ROSETTA STONE: FIVE ‘STOLEN’ ARTEFACTS ACROSS THE WORLD

Since its discovery on the banks of the Nile in 1912, the 3,400-year-old bust of Egyptian queen Nefertiti has been on display thousands of miles away in Berlin.

Egyptian authorities have repeatedly asked for the statue to be returned, along with other important “looted” artefacts that are scattered across museums in Europe and the United States.

Recently, former Egyptian Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass launched a petition for the Nefertiti bust to be returned, once again opening up the conversation on repatriating “stolen” artefacts to their countries of origin.

“This bust, unparalleled in history for its historical and aesthetic value, is in Germany, but it’s time for it to return to Egypt,” Hawass said in a statement.

Here is a list of some other well-known artefacts that have been the subject of longstanding controversy.

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Rosetta stone

In addition to the Nefertiti bust, Hawass has also launched a petition for the return of the Rosetta stone from the British Museum.

The table was excavated from Egypt during the Napoleonic campaign in 1799 and then claimed by the British in 1801 after French defeat and withdrawal.

It dates back to 196 BCE and is considered to be the most significant of Egyptian discoveries since it helped decipher the ancient hieroglyphic script.

Parthenon sculptures

Sometimes referred to as the Elgin Marbles, after the seventh Earl of Elgin, authorities in Greece have long demanded the return of the Parthenon sculptures, which were extracted from the Acropolis of Athens between 1801 and 1812.

Lord Elgin had the sculptures shipped to Britain with the intention of creating a private museum but was forced to sell them to cover his divorce settlement.

In 1816, the British Museum acquired them.

People view examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain. Reuters

Koh-i-Noor diamond

Presently on display in the Tower of London, the ownership of the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond has been contested among four countries: India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Britain claims to have purchased the diamond legally, following Punjab’s annexation—but its methods of acquisition were coercive.

Smithsonian noted how the 10-year-old “boy-king” Duleep Singh was forced “to sign a legal document amending the Treaty of Lahore,” which required he “give away the Koh-i-Noor and all claim to sovereignty” in exchange for the release of his mother Rani Jindan from British captivity.

Soon after achieving independence in 1947, the Indian government asked for the diamond to be returned, then reiterated its position during Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. In more recent years, in 2016, the Indian Culture Ministry said it would “make all possible efforts to bring back the Koh-i-Noor diamond in an amicable manner.”

Benin Bronzes

In 1897, Britain stole thousands of artefacts from the Kingdom of Benin, located in present-day Nigeria.

“These objects—including figurines, tusks, sculptures of Benin’s rulers, and an ivory mask—were looted by British troops and have since been dispersed around the world, with the bulk of the works now residing with state museums in Europe,” wrote Alex Greenberger for ARTnews.

Hundreds of them are still found in the British Museum, while others are displayed in museums in Germany, Austria, and the United States. Nigerian authorities and artists have demanded their return, with some success.

In December 2022, for instance, Germany returned 22 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria out of the 1,130 present in German museums.

An employee poses as he views examples of Benin bronzes which, together with collections such as the Parthenon sculptures, are the subject of talks of their return to countries of origin, displayed at the British Museum in London, Britain. Reuters

Maqdala manuscripts

After the Battle of Maqdala in 1868, British forces stole hundreds of religious manuscripts, books and relics from the possession of Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II.

Over 300 manuscripts were sent to the British Library, where they remained largely hidden from public view until 2021, when they were returned to Ethiopia, marking a success in longstanding repatriation efforts.

Ethiopian National Heritage Restitution Committee member Alula Pankhurst referred to it as the “single most significant heritage restitution in Ethiopia’s history.”