The National Archaeological Museum in Madrid has formally returned a collection of rare 4th-century BCE gold jewelry to the Bardo National Museum in Tunis. The artifacts, including filigree earrings and ceremonial amulets, were part of a Punic funerary hoard that was illicitly exported from Tunisia during the colonial era.
The return was ratified under the Mediterranean Heritage Cooperation Treaty 2026, which aims to standardize the restitution of artifacts found in North Africa but currently held in European collections. Officials from both nations hailed the event as a new chapter in Mediterranean diplomacy, emphasizing the role of heritage restitution in building equitable cultural partnerships.