11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Ancient Funerary Stones Looted from Yemen Will Be Exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum

The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) has signed a historic agreement with the Yemeni government to temporarily keep and display four ancient Funerary Stones seized by police in east London and believed to have been looted from Yemen.

Dating back to the second half of the first millennium BCE, the stelae come from a Yemen necropolis that has been subject to recent looting. The objects were spotted in an interior design shop by an archaeology enthusiast and recovered by the Met’s Art and Antiques Unit.

Works are usually returned to their country of origin as soon as possible, but the Museum will now be able to display the rare artifacts at its V&A Storehouse in Stratford before they are sent back when it opens in 2025.

In a historic agreement with Yemen, the V&A will temporarily research and conserve the stones until it is safe to return them. The objects are of the type listed on the International Council of Museum’s emergency red list of cultural objects at risk.

They will be on view at V&A East Storehouse as part of the show “Culture in Crisis” through 2025. On Tuesday, the agreement was signed by the V&A’s director Tristram Hunt and the ambassador for Yemen in the UK Yassin Saeed Noman.

A group of four ancient funerary stelae from the Republic of Yemen. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
A group of four ancient funerary stelae from the Republic of Yemen. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

“This is a historic agreement that will give the public the chance to appreciate these exceptional examples of Yemeni culture and creativity, before the objects are repatriated, and shine a light on how the V&A’s Culture in Crisis program helps curtail the illegal trade of looted objects and the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide,” Hunt told the BBC.

Charles Harper, UK charge d’affaires and deputy ambassador to Yemen, said: “Arts and culture can play an important role in rebuilding a society from conflict and this agreement is a fantastic way to ensure Yemeni culture remains in Yemeni care.”

The V&A’s Culture in Crisis, external programme was established in 2015 and looks to protect cultural heritage by working closely to support law-enforcement around the world to help prevent the illicit trade of cultural artefacts.

Cover Photo: Ancient funerary stelae looted from a Yemen necropolis. PHOTO: ED LYON/V&A MUSEUM IN LONDON

Related Articles

One of the earliest water channels in history dating back 8,200 years was discovered in western Türkiye

27 August 2023

27 August 2023

One of the earliest water channels in history dating back 8,200 years was found during the excavation work carried out...

Seven metal detectorists found 2,584 silver coins in a southwest England field “the most expensive treasure ever found in the United Kingdom”

27 October 2024

27 October 2024

In early 2019, seven metal detectorists found a cache of 2,584 silver coins dating to the Norman Conquest that had...

Archaeologists discover Europe’s longest prehistoric mound in the Czechia

22 June 2024

22 June 2024

Czech archaeologists in the Hradec Králové area in East Bohemia have discovered what is probably the longest prehistoric mound in...

Theater of Perinthos Ancient City to be unearthed

9 August 2021

9 August 2021

The theater area in the Ancient City of Perinthos, whose history dates back to 600 BC, will be unearthed during...

Archaeologists unearthed a pot of copper coins in first major discovery at Mohenjo Daro in Pakistan, in 93 years

18 November 2023

18 November 2023

A pot full of copper coins was discovered from a stupa (a dome-shaped building erected as a Buddhist shrine) at...

Spectacular Roman Mosaics Unearthed in Thalheim bei Wels: A Unique Discovery in Upper Austria

10 June 2025

10 June 2025

Archaeologists from the University of Salzburg uncovered three exceptionally preserved Roman mosaics during excavations A remarkable archaeological discovery has captivated...

Bronze Age burial chamber discovered on Dartmoor, England

14 May 2024

14 May 2024

Excitement has been felt among archaeologists over the discovery of a Bronze Age burial chamber on Dartmoor, which may provide...

Petalodus shark teeth found for the first time in China

29 August 2021

29 August 2021

A 290 million-year-old fossil of a shark with petal-shaped teeth has been discovered in China. Seven well-preserved Petalodus teeth were...

The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh

24 August 2024

24 August 2024

Archaeologists in Egypt unveiled the first and largest astronomical observatory from the 6th century BCE in the Buto Temple at...

Silver coins found near the ruins of the medieval monastery in Holy island

10 November 2021

10 November 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a silver coin on Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island, in the northeast of England. Dig Ventures is...

New research reveals that Baltic amber was transported to the most westerly region of the continent more than 5,000 years ago

21 October 2023

21 October 2023

A team of scientists has identified the oldest pieces of Baltic amber ever found on the Iberian Peninsula, revealing that...

After 85 years of adventure, Globetrotting Mycenaean gold ring returns home

3 June 2022

3 June 2022

The 3,000-year-old gold Mycenaean ring, stolen from the Rhodes Archaeological Museum during World War II and later bought by a...

A 3,400-year-old Pyramid from the Scythian-Saka period found in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan

2 November 2023

2 November 2023

A pyramid belonging to the Scythian-Saka period was found in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. Experts announced that the Karajartas...

A Small Sandstone Carved With A Viking Ship May Be Oldest Picture Ever Found In Iceland

16 June 2023

16 June 2023

Archaeologists in East Iceland have found a sandstone carved with a Viking ship that may be the oldest picture ever...

Bom Jesus: The Oldest and Most Valuable Shipwreck Found in the Namibian Desert

20 March 2025

20 March 2025

In a remarkable archaeological discovery, the Bom Jesus (The Good Jesus), a Portuguese ship that sank over 500 years ago,...