International Law and the Ethics of Antiquities Trafficking

The return of the giant Aksum stele to Ethiopia in 2005 was the repatriation of one of Africa’s treasures. The stele had been sought by Ethiopians for decades since it was taken by Mussolini’s troops in 1937 and placed near the Arch of Constantine in Rome. Dating from around 300 AD, the elaborately carved granite Aksum stele was around 80 feet long, weighed 160 tons and was shipped back by air – sadly in three pieces instead of the original one monolithic piece – at a cost of nearly $8 million. UNESCO, pursuant to the 1972 UN Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, oversaw this repatriation.