U.S. Returns Looted Sculptures to Libya

TRIPOLI, LIBYA—According to a statement released by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, American officials have handed over a collection of artifacts to Libyan officials in a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy. Two of the objects, sculptures dated to the fourth century B.C., are thought to have been looted from the ancient city of Cyrene. The first, “Veiled Head of a Female,” has been on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1998, while the other, “Bust of a Bearded Man,” has been held by a private collector. The artifacts were recovered through the joint efforts of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. To read about 10,000-year-old faunal remains uncovered at a rock shelter in southwestern Libya, go to "Around the World: Libya."