Norway police seize nearly 100 artifacts reportedly missing from Iraq
The cuneiform tablets and other artifacts were reportedly recovered from a private collection in Norway.
Norwegian police have seized a heap of Mesopotamian artifacts in southeast Norway, which the Iraqi government has requested be repatriated.
Authorities on Friday said the seizure consisted of what are presumed to be cuneiform tablets and other archaeological objects from ancient Mesopotamia. Experts are now examining the objects to determine their authenticity and possible origin. AFP reports the Iraqi government had submitted a restitution request to Norway’s Ministry of Culture.
“In total, almost 100 objects of significance to the global cultural heritage have been seized," the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime said in a statement.
The statement didn’t say whom the artifacts were seized from, or how they were smuggled into Norway. A police spokesperson told Reuters that the items were part of a private collection and that no criminal charges had been filed.
