The Turkish government has requested from Britain the return of a stone tablet dating back to the first century.
The Samsat Stele, which is currently held at the British Museum, is a stone tablet dating back to the first century B.C. portraying Commagenian King Antiochos I Epiphanes greeting Greek god Zeus's son Herakles. The hole in the center of the Samat Stele, which is made of basalt, reflects its later use as an oil press.
English archaeologist Leonard Woolley discovered the stone slab during his excavations in Samsat, Turkey, near the Turkish-Syrian border, between 1917 and 1920.
In the past two years, Turkey has stepped up claims to works in museums around the world it believes were looted, including the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Turkey's acquisitions have triggered a global debate around the world as to who the rightful owners of stolen, smuggled or illegally purchased cultural artifacts are.
The Samsat Stele, which is currently held at the British Museum, is a stone tablet dating back to the first century B.C. portraying Commagenian King Antiochos I Epiphanes greeting Greek god Zeus's son Herakles. The hole in the center of the Samat Stele, which is made of basalt, reflects its later use as an oil press.
English archaeologist Leonard Woolley discovered the stone slab during his excavations in Samsat, Turkey, near the Turkish-Syrian border, between 1917 and 1920.
In the past two years, Turkey has stepped up claims to works in museums around the world it believes were looted, including the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Turkey's acquisitions have triggered a global debate around the world as to who the rightful owners of stolen, smuggled or illegally purchased cultural artifacts are.
For more: Turkey requests return of Samsat Stele from Britain
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