After 65 years, the bronze statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, which had been looted from the ancient city of Bubon in Burdur, Turkey, has been returned to the country. The repatriation was made possible through cooperation between Turkish authorities and U.S. officials, after the statue had been on display for years at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio. This success resulted from the combined efforts of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Investigations Unit (HSI).
The statue, dating from the 2nd–3rd century AD, is a rare piece of ancient art history, portraying the Roman emperor as a philosopher. It is considered one of the most exquisite bronze sculptures ever found in Anatolia. The statue was illegally unearthed and smuggled out of Bubon, located in the Gölhisar district of southwestern Turkey, during the 1960s. After changing hands multiple times, it was acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art, and has now been repatriated following a long legal and diplomatic effort. It will soon be exhibited to the public in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Groundbreaking Research and a Historic Return
The true origin of the statue was first revealed by Professor Jale İnan, Turkey’s first female archaeologist. Her pioneering research laid the foundation for the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism to launch a joint investigation in 2021 with the Manhattan District Attorney and HSI.
This collaborative effort led to the repatriation of multiple artifacts from Bubon, including statues and busts of Roman emperors Lucius Verus, Septimius Severus, and Caracalla. Years of scientific analysis, archival documentation, and eyewitness testimony confirmed that the Marcus Aurelius statue originally belonged to the Sebasteion (Sebasteum) building in Bubon.
Based on this evidence, U.S. authorities deemed Turkey’s claim valid and ordered the seizure of the statue from the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Legal Dispute and Scientific Proof
Although the museum appealed the seizure and filed a lawsuit disputing the statue’s link to Bubon, Turkey agreed to carry out scientific analyses to support its case. In May 2024, under supervision from Turkish experts, a silicone mold was taken from the statue’s foot and was found to perfectly match bases discovered in Bubon. Soil and lead-carbon samples were also carefully collected.
The analysis was conducted by Professor Ernst Pernicka at the Curt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry in Germany. It conclusively proved that the statue once stood in the Sebasteion. Soil samples taken from inside the statue closely matched the chemical composition and strontium isotope ratios of three samples from Bubon, and of another statue — the “Valerian” — kept at the Burdur Museum, which is also believed to have originated from Bubon.
Following this evidence, the Cleveland Museum of Art withdrew from the legal proceedings and agreed to return the statue to Turkey.
Official Statements
In its official statement, the museum said:
“The museum appreciates the collaboration with officials in Turkey and the District Attorney’s Office for the scientific resolution of the statue’s provenance. Without this new research, the museum would not have been able to determine with certainty that the statue had once stood in that region.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg highlighted the importance of international cooperation, noting that the investigation — which included extensive witness interviews and detailed forensic analysis — provided compelling evidence that the statue was looted from Bubon. He welcomed the museum’s decision and emphasized the importance of returning cultural heritage items to their rightful historical context.
Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy called the return a “historic achievement” in a social media statement. He said the process, conducted in coordination with the Manhattan District Attorney and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, represents more than the return of an artifact — it is a historic success enabled by the combined force of diplomacy, law, and science.
This case also sets a valuable precedent for future cooperation between source countries, law enforcement agencies, and museums in the restitution of cultural heritage.
