The story of the 2,500-year-old stone and its journey back to Greece

Enrico Tosti-Croce returned the stone fragment from the temple of Hekatompedon, showing respect for ancient heritage and contributing to the preservation of Greek history.

In January 2025, Enrico Tosti-Croce contacted the Greek Embassy in Chile to return a small piece of marble that had been on his coat rack. Enrico’s father had stolen the artifact while visiting the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, in the 1930s. Photo: Greek Ministry of Culture.

Enrico believed the marble was part of the Parthenon. However, after analysis, experts determined that the artifact could have come from Hekatompedon – a temple on the Acropolis that is even older than the Parthenon. Photo: Steve Swayne/Wikimedia Commons.

Enrico's act of returning the 2,500-year-old relic has been praised by Greek authorities, who hope it will inspire others to do the same. Photo: Public Domain.

According to Enrico, his father, Gaetano, visited the Acropolis in Athens in the 1930s. At that time, Gaetano was in the Italian Navy. When he arrived at the Acropolis, Gaetano picked up a piece of marble on the ground near the Parthenon and brought it home. Photo: Enrico Tosti-Croce.

When Enrico's family moved to Chile in the 1950s, the marble was placed on a shelf as "just another decoration." After his parents died in 1994, he inherited the marble and placed it on a coat rack in his home. Photo: Enrico Tosti-Croce.

The piece of marble weighs about 1.1 kg, is 7.6 cm high and 11.4 cm wide. While his father believes it is part of the Parthenon, Enrico says that may not be true. Photo: Shutterstock.

In January 2025, Enrico heard on the radio about Greek officials’ efforts to repatriate marble statues held by the British Museum, so he decided it was time to return the piece of marble his father had brought home. Photo: greece-is.com.

So Enrico contacted the Greek Embassy in Chile, sent photos and measurements of the marble fragment he was holding. He then sent the artifact to the Greek Embassy for experts to examine and wanted to know which part of the Parthenon it came from. Photo: greece-is.com.

A few months later, Enrico received a letter from Olympia Vikatou, director of the Greek Archaeological Service, which said the marble was “part of a marble gargoyle from an ancient temple, probably Hekatompedon, the first monumental temple on the Acropolis.” Photo: Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Image.

The Temple of Hekatompedon was built on the Acropolis around 550 BC, about 100 years before the Parthenon was built. However, the Temple of Hekatompedon was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and the Parthenon was later built on this site. Photo: acropolis-tickets.com.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Revealing lost civilizations through archaeological remains.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/cau-chuyen-ve-manh-da-co-2500-nam-tuoi-va-hanh-trinh-tro-ve-hy-lap-post2149067708.html