Over the millennia, cultures across the globe have produced literary works that tell the story of an epic hero’s homecoming – a long journey usually punctuated with trials and tribulations the hero must overcome. In ancient Greek literature, this tradition is known as nostos. One of the most famous ancient Greek compositions to explore nostos is Homer’s Odyssey. The Odyssey teaches us that while each journey back home is unique, they are often long and difficult.
The Carlos was first contacted by the Greek Ministry of Culture in 2007 about the repatriation of three objects from our collections. Over the next 15 years, our contact with the Ministry went through a series of starts and stops with neither side being able to break through. In 2022, the Carlos enlisted the aid of the Greek Consulate General in Atlanta who was able to put us in touch with the right people in the Ministry…and added another object to the list of possible repatriations. Resolving the Greek claim was one of new director Henry Kim’s priorities, so in the Spring of 2023, we travelled to Athens to discuss the objects under consideration. Reviewing the evidence with the Ministry, it was clear three objects needed to be transferred back to Greece and one would stay at the Carlos. It was a truly rewarding experience to work collaboratively with our Greek colleagues and achieve an outcome that excited all parties involved.
The three objects that returned home to Greece earlier this year are currently traveling their homeland and celebrating their nostoi in the exhibition Stolen Past – Lost Future on view at the Archaeological Museum of Patras. The exhibition aims to raise awareness about what is lost when archaeological sites are looted or destroyed. One of the great rewards of collaborative provenance research beyond repatriation is working with countries of origin and archaeologists to determine an object’s findspot. Reuniting an object with a cultural region or an archaeological site gives a more complete picture of the ancient context and allows the object to better tell their story.
Dr. Valeda Dent, Emory University’s Vice Provost of Libraries and Museum travelled to Greece in October and was able to meet with Greek colleagues and visit the objects now that they have completed their journey. It is rewarding for all of us at Emory to see the nostoi of these objects and the impact they are making back home. To quote the exhibition’s text: “The timeline of the claim was not linear. It had highs and lows, periods of silence and tension…In the end, as in every story, it was the people who made the difference”.
