A fragment of an ancient marble water pipe taken from the archaeological site in Ancient Olympia has been repatriated to Greece from Germany, where it had been illegally exported, the culture ministry announced.

The ancient artifact was handed in to the Greek embassy in Berlin by a German citizen and flown back to Athens on August 10, the announcement said. From there it was taken to the Olympia Archaeological Museum where it will be kept.

According to the German national returning the item, the marble fragment came from Ancient Olympia, possibly from the Stadium, and had been in Germany since the 1930s. Based on an initial examination, it appears to be a piece of marble piping measuring 0.32X0.18X0.75 metres.

The announcement noted that the remains of an advanced network of pipes used for water supply and the drainage of rainwater still exist at the Ancient Olympia site.

Source: int.ert.gr

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