"Department of Antiquities": Recovery of a Jordanian artifact from Australia
Amman3 min read
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The Director-General of the Department of Antiquities, Fadi Abu Danah, said on Wednesday that the recovery of a Jordanian artifact from the National Gallery of Australia is the fruit of Jordanian diplomatic relations and coordination through official channels between the two sides.
Abu Danah added that correspondence took place with the National Gallery of Australia through diplomatic channels, leading to the receipt of the artifact, in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
He explained that the artifact possesses great scientific, historical, and cultural value due to the precision of its details and inscriptions, which date back to the pre-Neolithic period, providing important evidence of human life during that stage.
He pointed out that the inscriptions carved on the artifact include prominent, recessed, and regularly repeating geometric shapes, noting that a number of researchers believe they were inspired by the natural environment in the region and perhaps mimic the shape of the turtle that existed there.
Abu Danah indicated that the presence of the artifact within a specific archaeological context, along with the discovery of other evidence in the region, contributes to understanding the nature of the environment and lifestyles during that period, including man's relationship with his natural surroundings and food sources.
He pointed out that the artifact consists of three parts, stressing that efforts will continue to study the possibility of bringing the three parts together, allowing them to be displayed together in a Jordanian museum as part of the Kingdom's historical and cultural heritage.
He explained that parts of the artifact were broken due to natural factors related to the conditions of the archaeological site, including humidity and the effect of plant roots, given that it was carved on a friable stone material.
Abu Danah emphasized that Jordan relies on international channels and agreements, including frameworks related to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in following up on issues related to antiquities located abroad.
He pointed out that most of the artifacts that left the Kingdom did so legally under agreements.
Jordan received a rare Jordanian artifact that Australia decided to return to Jordan, during a ceremony held at the National Gallery of Australia on the sidelines of the state visit paid by His Majesty King Abdullah II to Australia.
The artifact was received by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, representing His Majesty the King.
The return of the artifact reflects the cooperation between the two countries in the field of protecting cultural heritage, preserving archaeological possessions, and returning them to their original homeland.
The artifact dates back to about 12,000 BC, and is one of 3 parts that formed an inscribed stone architectural plaque made of mudstone, discovered in 1983 during excavation work carried out by a joint mission from the University of Sydney and the College of Wooster, before being transferred to the National Gallery of Australia in 1985, according to arrangements agreed upon by the two countries.
The artifact acquires exceptional archaeological and historical importance, as it constitutes, along with the other two parts, what is considered the oldest large-scale sculpture known in the world, while Jordan preserves the other two parts in the Jordan Museum in Amman and the Dar Al-Saraya Museum in Irbid.
