A Cypriot antiquity dating to around 600 BC is being returned to Cyprus after it was identified on sale in an online auction in France.
According to the Department of Antiquities, under the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the artefact was handed over to the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Paris on June 18, 2026. It had been detected on May 14, 2025 by officials monitoring the illegal trafficking of Cypriot antiquities online.
Its return followed coordinated efforts by the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus Police, Interpol and the French Ministry of Culture, in particular the Regional Archaeology Service of Occitanie. The process lasted approximately one year, with the current holder eventually deciding to return the item to its country of origin.
The artefact is a four-horse chariot figurine from the Cypro-Archaic I–II period. The chariot is drawn by four horses, while the rectangular carriage depicts two figures, a warrior carrying a shield and a charioteer. Both figures wear conical helmets.
According to the Department of Antiquities, such chariot models were typically votive offerings and are mainly found in sanctuaries or burial sites.
The Department expressed its thanks to all services involved, as well as to the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Paris for its cooperation in coordinating the repatriation.
