The Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned dozens of ancient artifacts believed to have been looted, continuing an ongoing effort that has led to the seizure of more than 120 items since 2017. These objects, valued at over $95 million, originated from countries including Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Syria, and Pakistan.

In the latest action, investigators removed several significant pieces, including a 3,700-year-old terracotta jug and a marble head from Greece, a 2,000-year-old bronze statuette of Hermes from Turkey, and a golden headpiece from ancient Egypt. Independent appraisals estimated these four items to be worth between $80,000 and $500,000. The returns stem from a stipulation dated June 9, which has not been publicly disclosed until now.

The seizures are part of a broader investigation led by the Manhattan district attorney’s office under Alvin L. Bragg, which has leveraged insights into international antiquities trafficking networks that dominated the post-World War II market. The office’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit, headed by Matthew Bogdanos, has used subpoenas and documentary evidence, including dealers’ private correspondence and statements from known looters, to identify items with questionable provenance. Curatorial notes indicating objects arrived encrusted with dirt, often a sign of illicit excavation, have also supported the claims.

Since 2017, investigators have removed items ranging from high-value artifacts to smaller pieces like pottery shards, belt clasps, earrings, ax heads, safety pins, and figurines. The district attorney’s office reports 348 items seized from the Met, while the museum counts the total at 198. This discrepancy arises partly from differing methods of cataloging—for instance, the Met counts multiple fragments from a single object as one item, whereas investigators record each fragment separately.

The Metropolitan Museum has framed the returns as a cooperative process, involving information exchange and internal reviews before agreeing to relinquish the artifacts. The institution has expanded its provenance research team to 12 specialists and appointed Lucian Simmons, a former Sotheby’s executive, to lead this effort. Simmons emphasized the complexity of tracing the ownership histories of ancient objects and the museum’s commitment to removing stolen art from its collection.

While the museum highlights its increased vigilance and notes that it has independently initiated the repatriation of 18 antiquities since 2017, investigators have expressed frustration with what they describe as the Met’s slow pace in addressing problematic acquisitions. Bogdanos pointedly questioned why the district attorney’s office has had to drive much of the recovery work.

Several of the artifacts recently returned had been on display at the Met for years, acquired between 1971 and 2001, and some had connections to dealers historically linked to trafficking networks. Among these dealers is Robert Hecht, a prominent American antiquities dealer connected to numerous disputed items. Hecht, who died in 2012, was involved in the Met’s return of the famed Euphronios krater to Italy in 2008. The museum said that as of a year ago, 49 objects associated with Hecht or his galleries remained in its collection and that research into their provenance continues.

The Met also maintains that its relationships with artifact source countries remain strong. In some cases, these countries have agreed to leave objects with uncertain provenance on loan rather than demand immediate repatriation. The museum continues to participate in loan programs with cultural institutions in Italy, Greece, and other nations.

By publicly disclosing more details about restitution efforts, the Met aims to promote transparency while continuing to confront the challenges of addressing its extensive holdings that include artifacts with complex or questionable histories.