German tourist returns 2,400-year-old Ancient Olympia artifact after 50 years

A small pottery shard taken from Ancient Olympia by a young German tourist in the 1960s has returned to Greece after spending roughly half a century in her possession.

The woman, now elderly, contacted Greek authorities in later life to arrange the artifact’s return. She had kept the fragment in Germany as a souvenir and personal reminder of her trip. Most reports have not publicly identified her.

Ancient Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, housed the sanctuary of Zeus and the first Olympic Games. The games began in 776 BC and continued for more than 1,000 years. The archaeological site contains fragments of temples, altars, statues and objects associated with athletes, priests and visitors.

Tourists in the 1960s could move more freely among the ruins, and visitors sometimes took small stones or pottery fragments as mementos. Over time, the woman reportedly came to feel that the shard belonged to Greece’s protected cultural heritage rather than to her.

Her return request involved German and Greek officials, archaeologists and museum staff. Reports differ over whether the formal handover took place in 2024 or 2025.