Italian antiquities police said after a thorough investigation they concluded the piece left Turkey illegally and ended up in a house in Florence, Italy, after being purchased in France.
The Antiquities Police have been working for decades to return works of art and antiquities to their country of origin if they arrived in the country without permission.
His efforts have resulted in the return to Italy of hundreds of works of art and artifacts from prestigious museums and collectors around the world.
The stone carving depicts a noble woman with her head covered and her right hand resting on her left breast. Under the bust of the deceased, an inscription in ancient Greek was inscribed: “Saturnelle, beloved wife of her husband, farewell!
Police said the tombstone was illegally excavated near the ancient town of Zeugma, near present-day Gaziantep, Turkey.
The Antiquities Police said it dates back to between the middle of the 2nd century and the end.
Zeugoma, located on the Euphrates, was originally an ancient Greek city that later became a vassal of the Roman Empire and was founded by Alexander the Great around 300 BC.
The tombstone was handed over to the Turkish Ambassador to Italy for repatriation to Turkey.
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