Two archaeological objects have been returned to the Government of Ukraine.

An iron arrowhead and a small round metal pendant against a white background.

A temporal pendant from the Yamnaya culture of the third millennium BCE and an iron arrowhead from the 12th or 13th century were returned to the Government of Ukraine at an event held in Sydney on 23 August to celebrate the Independence Day of Ukraine.

The two archaeological items had been illicitly trafficked to Australia in late 2023.

Thanks to cooperation between Ukrainian and Australian customs, and the Office for the Arts, they were intercepted upon arrival in Sydney and seized under Australia's Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986.

Archaeological objects are particularly vulnerable in times of armed conflict. While these two objects are small examples of the wealth of objects unearthed, they are protected by law and form part of Ukraine's cultural heritage footprint. Their return demonstrates Australia's efforts to combat illicit trafficking and help preserve the cultural heritage of all nations.

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