United States returns 17,000 exceptional archaeological items to Iraq
The tablet recounting the epic Gilgamesh found in the United States will be returned to Iraq.
© US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The United States is going to give Iraq back a huge treasure.
These are 17,000 archaeological pieces, dating back almost 4,000 years, which have been looted in recent decades.
The Iraqi Minister of Culture described this gesture as “
unprecedented restitution
”.
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The 17,000 pieces will travel on the plane of Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi, who returns to Iraq on Thursday, July 29, after a visit to Washington, where he notably met US President Joe Biden.
Among all these antiques that must be returned: a 3,500-year-old clay tablet, smuggled into the American art market in 2003.
A tablet sold illegally in the United States
The tablet contains fragments of "
The Epic of Gilgamesh
", a tale which chronicles the adventures of a powerful king of Mesopotamia.
The inscriptions are in cuneiform script, the graphic system in force in this region, 3000 BC.
Two days ago,
American justice confirmed
that it was stolen cultural property: an important step towards the return of one of the oldest literary works of humanity, to its country of origin. .
More than 10,000 years of history are buried in the soil of ancient Mesopotamia, which has always fueled the lust of treasure hunters.
This looting has taken on a new dimension due to the chaos caused by the US invasion of 2003, and the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein.
► To read also: Joe Biden announces "a new phase" of relations with Iraq without major change
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Iraq
United States
Archeology
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