U.S. Returns Six Cultural Items to IraqBy STAN PARCHINFebruary 25, 2010Sumerian. Foundation Figure (ca. 2500 B.C.). Bronze. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Neo-Assyrian. Earrings from Treasure of Nimrud (ca. 8th-7th Century B.C.). Gold. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton returned today six cultural objects to Iraqi Ambassador Samir Sumaida'ie at the country's embassy in Washington, D.C. The repatriation ceremony included: § a Sumerian bronze foundation figure and inscribed stone tablet (ca. 2500-1800 B.C.) from a sacred temple; § a Babylonian clay foundation cone (ca. 2100 B.C.) previously imbedded in a temple and inscribed with a ruler's name for dedication purposes; § Neo-Assyrian gold earrings (ca. 8th-7th Century B.C.) from the Treasure of Nimrud, first discovered in 1988 under the floor of the Royal Palace of Ashurnasirpal II and later stolen from the National Museum in Baghdad; § one Roman coin (ca. 250 B.C.) from when the Mediterranean civilization occupied what is present-day Iraq; and § an AK-47 assault rifle bearing Saddam Hussein's image on it, originally intended for the dictator's Ba'ath party members and supporters. ICE Assistant Secretary Morton said, "It is a great privilege and honor, on behalf of the United States, to return to the people of Iraq a collection of cultural treasures that reflects their nation's rich history and heritage. These are precisely the types of treasures that ICE's Cultural Property Art and Antiquities unit was established in 2003 to identify, investigate and return to their rightful owners. We will continue to be vigilant about finding and prosecuting those who would rob a nation for personal gain."
§ a Sumerian bronze foundation figure and inscribed stone tablet (ca. 2500-1800 B.C.) from a sacred temple; § a Babylonian clay foundation cone (ca. 2100 B.C.) previously imbedded in a temple and inscribed with a ruler's name for dedication purposes; § Neo-Assyrian gold earrings (ca. 8th-7th Century B.C.) from the Treasure of Nimrud, first discovered in 1988 under the floor of the Royal Palace of Ashurnasirpal II and later stolen from the National Museum in Baghdad; § one Roman coin (ca. 250 B.C.) from when the Mediterranean civilization occupied what is present-day Iraq; and § an AK-47 assault rifle bearing Saddam Hussein's image on it, originally intended for the dictator's Ba'ath party members and supporters.
§ a Sumerian bronze foundation figure and inscribed stone tablet (ca. 2500-1800 B.C.) from a sacred temple;
§ a Babylonian clay foundation cone (ca. 2100 B.C.) previously imbedded in a temple and inscribed with a ruler's name for dedication purposes;
§ Neo-Assyrian gold earrings (ca. 8th-7th Century B.C.) from the Treasure of Nimrud, first discovered in 1988 under the floor of the Royal Palace of Ashurnasirpal II and later stolen from the National Museum in Baghdad;
§ one Roman coin (ca. 250 B.C.) from when the Mediterranean civilization occupied what is present-day Iraq; and
§ an AK-47 assault rifle bearing Saddam Hussein's image on it, originally intended for the dictator's Ba'ath party members and supporters.
ICE Assistant Secretary Morton said, "It is a great privilege and honor, on behalf of the United States, to return to the people of Iraq a collection of cultural treasures that reflects their nation's rich history and heritage. These are precisely the types of treasures that ICE's Cultural Property Art and Antiquities unit was established in 2003 to identify, investigate and return to their rightful owners. We will continue to be vigilant about finding and prosecuting those who would rob a nation for personal gain."
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