Greek culture ministry contests sale of ancient stele
Greek authorities will continue to claim the late classical “Dorias” stele after the item was sold at a Christie’s auction in London on Wednesday, the Athens-Macedonian New Agency reported. The item, sold for over 135,000 dollars, dates back to approximately 325 BC.
The Greek Ministry of Culture noted that the stele’s sale did not preclude its repatriation, citing a similar case involving a marble Byzantine architectural segment from the Temple of the Savior in Messinia in 2012, also sold by Christie’s and subsequently returned to Greece.
According to the Greek ministry, the stele was removed from the ancient cemetery of Halkida, on the island of Evia. The auctioneers claimed that it was part of a French private collection and had been acquired before 1994.
