Jordan recovers a rare artifact from Australia dating back to 12,000 BC
Amman2 min read
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Representing His Majesty King Abdullah II, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi 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.
The return of the piece reflects the cooperation between the two countries in the field of protecting cultural heritage and preserving archaeological collections and returning them to their original home.
The piece dates back to about 12,000 BC and is one of three parts that formed an engraved stone architectural slab made of mudstone, discovered in 1983 during excavations carried out by a joint mission from the University of Sydney and the College of Wooster, before it was transferred to the National Gallery of Australia in 1985, according to arrangements agreed upon by the two countries.
The piece holds exceptional archaeological and historical importance, as it forms, 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 at the Jordan Museum in Amman and the Dar Al-Saraya Museum in Irbid.
During the handover ceremony, which was attended on the Australian side by the Australian Government's Special Envoy for the Arts Susan Templeman and museum officials concerned with cultural and artistic affairs, Safadi emphasized the importance of Jordanian-Australian cooperation in the field of archaeological excavation and preservation, and thanked the Australian government and the museum for their cooperation and the return of the artifact to Jordan.
