Smuggled abroad through illegal excavations: 2,500-year-old gold necklace returned to Turkey
A gold necklace dating back approximately 2,500 years to the Lydian period, which had been smuggled out of Turkey and displayed for many years at a museum in Boston, USA, was handed over to Turkish authorities at an official ceremony held at the Turkish Consulate General in Boston.
Officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey received the gold necklace, which was smuggled from the Bintepeler region of Manisa and brought to the USA in 1982, from representatives of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where it had been on display, during a ceremony held at the Turkish Consulate General in Boston.
The handover ceremony for the historically significant artifact was attended by Turkey's Consul General in Boston Murat Uğurluoğlu, New York Culture and Promotion Attaché Hilal Demirel, and officials from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
New York Culture and Promotion Attaché Hilal Demirel, in a statement to an AA reporter, shared that the necklace is approximately 20 centimeters long and consists of pomegranate-shaped beads made of gold and carnelian stones.
Demirel stated, "The artifact is dated to the 6th or 5th century BC and bears the characteristic features of Lydian art. This piece, which has been well-preserved to the present day, shows similarities to other artifacts found in the Bintepeler necropolis area that are registered in the inventory of the Manisa Museum Directorate."
Touching upon the historical and cultural importance of the gold necklace for the region, Demirel added, "The return of this artifact is considered an important step both for the advancement of archaeological research and for the protection of our cultural heritage."
SMUGGLED ABROAD AFTER BEING REMOVED THROUGH ILLEGAL EXCAVATIONS
As a result of meticulous and long-term efforts, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey had determined that the gold necklace, which the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, added to its collection in 1982, belonged to the necropolis area known as Bintepeler in Manisa.
Archival research conducted by the Ministry revealed that the necklace was removed through illegal excavations in the 1970s from the area in the Bintepeler region where hundreds of Lydian tumuli are located and was subsequently smuggled abroad.
Following this development, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism requested the return of the artifact from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, last year through the Turkish Consulate General in Boston.
In light of this information, the museum administration agreed to return the necklace to Turkey.
News Source: 12punto
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