Nicosia, Cyprus. A nearly 4,000-year-old Cypriot ceramic vase was returned to Cyprus from Canada on Tuesday after it was listed for sale at an online auction. Authorities said the artefact was identified through monitoring of online antiquities sales.
Return of the artefact
The Department of Antiquities said the object is a hemispherical flask made of black-polished pottery with engraved decoration. It dates to around 1900BC, during the Early Cypriot III–Middle Cypriot I period.
Tracing and recovery
Officials said the vase was traced to Canada, where it was held by a private owner. The department said coordinated action lasted about a year before the owner agreed to return the object to Cyprus.
Preservation
The department said the vase is an important example of early Cypriot pottery and will now be preserved under state care.