On December 10, in Claremont, Los Angeles, a total of 266 Cypriot antiquities were handed over to Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus Vasiliki Kassianid, including a rare copper artifact — the third such artifact found on the island.

The artifacts were delivered by Harvey Mudd College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, Professor Tom Donnelly.

The collection of antiquities was taken out by Harvey Mudd, co-founder and owner of Cyprus Mines Corporation, under license from the newly established Department of Antiquities in 1930 during British colonial rule.

After Harvey Mudd’s death, his family founded Harvey Mudd College. After his wife’s death, the collection was donated to the college. Victoria Mudd, the granddaughter of Harvey Mudd, expressed a desire to return the collection to Cyprus, and an agreement was signed in 2018.

The collection includes clay vessels and lamps, glass objects, a compass, clay female figurines, a female head made of limestone and a significant number of copper instruments and mirrors dating from the early Bronze Age to the Roman era.

One of the most outstanding artifacts is a late Bronze Age copper talent in the shape of a bull hide. It was in this form that copper was exported from Cyprus. Three copper talents are known. One of them is kept in the British Museum, the other in Cyprus.

The Department of Antiquities is packing the artifacts and will return them to Cyprus within the next few days, almost a century after they were exported.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Kassianidou said that all subjects will be catalogued and transferred to the University of Cyprus for educational purposes. The talent and some other important artifacts will be included in the current planning of the new archaeological museum.

A source: cyprus-mail.com

https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/kipr-vernut-bolee-istoricheskix-artefaktov