A prehistoric stone figurine and a Nuragic bronze statuette, both illegally removed from Sardinia and destined for auction in New York, have been recovered and returned to Italy. They are now housed at the National Archaeological Museum of Nuoro.
The artifacts were part of a group of 129 objects repatriated by the New York District Attorney’s Office following an international investigation into the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.
The larger piece, a 35-centimeter stone female figurine dating to the late Neolithic period, belongs to the rare “cruciform full-plate” type and is remarkably well preserved, despite having been reassembled. The second object, an 8-centimeter Nuragic bronze dating from the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age, depicts an archer with a bow resting on his shoulder.
“This is a moment of great importance for our museum,” said director Antonio Cosseddu. “Due to its size and state of preservation, the prehistoric figurine ranks among the most significant pieces of Sardinia’s archaeological heritage. However, as both an archaeologist and a Sardinian, I cannot hide some regret over the lack of information about its original context.”