Athens - Nearly 190 Greek artefacts dating back thousands of years were returned to Greece yesterday by the Italian authorities after a three-year legal battle, the Greek culture ministry said.
The artefacts, unearthed on illicit digs, include vases from the Mycenaean era (2000 to 1100 BC) as well as vases, figurines, sculptures and copper jewellery from the seventh to the third century BC. The artefacts, 187 in total, were seized in June 1994 at the Italian port of Brindisi.