ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Authorities in Iraq’s southern Dhi Qar province on Monday announced discovering 20 artifacts north of the province “dating back to ancient historical times.”

The antiquities were found at the ancient Sumerian site of Tell Umm al-Aqarib during an inspection tour of the antiquities and heritage protection department, according to a statement from Dhi Qar police.

The discovered pieces are pottery jars of different shapes and sizes “dating back to ancient historical times,” the statement noted, adding that they were handed over to the Nasiriyah Civilization Museum “to preserve the cultural heritage that the province embraces.”

Iraqi artifacts have been repeatedly subjected to vandalism and looting throughout history, reaching a peak during the 2003 American invasion and the war with the Islamic State (ISIS) from 2014.

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in May 2023 attended a ceremony at the country’s embassy in London, during which 6,000 artifacts were handed over to the Iraqi authorities. The antiquities were borrowed “for study purposes” in 1923, according to a statement from Rashid’s office.

Iraq’s culture, tourism, and antiquities ministry in December said that more than 10,000 artifacts have been returned to the country during the tenure of the current government, adding that many others will be returned soon.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein last week announced the recovery of a number of “important” and “rare” stolen artifacts from Japan and Switzerland.