German museum returns Roman-era head of suspect provenance to Greece

A Roman-era marble portrait head has been handed over to the Greek state by the Archaeological Museum of the University of Munster in Germany after tests confirmed concerns about the legality of its provenance and is now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. 

"Today's return has particular symbolic significance, as it is not the result of a successful claim but a case of the Archaeological Museum of the University of Munster voluntarily deciding to return the head to Greece," Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said at Tuesday's handover ceremony, which was attended by Greek and German officials.

"This decision was taken after it was discovered that its provenance and history prior to 1989 - the year it was added to the museum's collection as a donation from German citizens - were opaque and suspect," she added, saying that extensive tests carried out by...