Tunisian authorities have announced the recovery of 210 historical artifacts dating back to the Carthaginian and Roman eras that were extracted during Canadian archaeological excavations in Carthage between 1994 and 1999.
In a statement issued Monday, the National Heritage Institute of Tunisia said the recovered collection includes 105 copper coins and 105 fragments of clay lamps uncovered during the Canadian mission’s excavations at the archaeological site of Carthage.
The institute confirmed that the artifacts have been preserved in the storage facilities of the Carthage archaeological site. The recovery operation was carried out in coordination with the head of the Canadian mission, Jeremy Rossetti, under the supervision of Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
According to the statement, the recovery forms part of broader efforts by the institute to reclaim archaeological objects that were temporarily exported during the 1990s as part of international excavation campaigns at Carthage supervised by UNESCO.
The institute also praised the cooperation of Tunisian customs authorities at Tunis-Carthage Airport for facilitating the return of the artifacts to the country.
In May 2025, Tunisian authorities announced the recovery of more than 11,000 significant archaeological artifacts from the United States after they had been removed from Tunisia 35 years earlier.
In February 2022, Tunisia also displayed 374 archaeological pieces that had either been seized or recovered. Official statistics show that between 2012 and 2019, the National Heritage Institute succeeded in recovering or confiscating nearly 40,000 artifacts representing the various civilizations that shaped the North African country.
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