Allegations surface on US sending fake Roman mosaics back to Lebanon

In a surprising turn of events, New York authorities are facing accusations from leading academics over the repatriation of allegedly fake Roman artefacts to Lebanon. According to a Guardian report citing Djamila Fellague from the University of Grenoble, eight out of nine mosaic panels recently returned by the US are not authentic. Fellague contends that forgers copied designs from original mosaics in archaeological sites and museums across Sicily, Tunisia, Algeria, and Turkey.

The controversy deepens as Fellague singles out specific mosaic panels, such as one depicting an Anguiped Giant, suggesting that it is based on a section of famous mosaics in the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily. Another claim involves a mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite, allegedly modelled after a mosaic found in Constantine, Algeria, which has been housed in the Louvre in Paris since the mid-19th century.

Christos Tsirogiannis, a renowned expert in looted antiquities and trafficking networks, supports these claims, emphasising the apparent similarities and the alleged forgers' mistake of copying well-known mosaics.


Tsirogiannis contends that the evidence is irrefutable and could pose significant embarrassment for the Manhattan district attorney's office, which had announced the repatriation of the antiquities to Lebanon.

Despite the allegations, the district attorney's office maintains the authenticity of the artefacts. A spokesperson asserted that a court evaluated their evidence, including expert analysis, and found the pieces to be genuine. The ongoing controversy raises questions about the vetting process for repatriation of cultural artefacts and the need for rigorous scientific scrutiny in such cases.