Description

Yesterday the US repatriated over 500 looted antiquities to the National Museum in Western Bangkok. The US government had requested Thai experts inspect these 'suspect items' housed in the Bowers Museum in 2009 where they were found to be stolen from mostly Ban Chiang and northestern and central Thailand. Ban Chiang is a world heritage site village from the Bronze Age.

This handover of 554 artifacts prompted further investigations, mostly into private institutions in California and Illinois and the donations made to them.

The people of Ban Chiang are happy to have the artifacts back in Thailand but have requested their display at the archaeological site.