Russia returns 4th Century BC Greek Scroll to Romania

After lying forgotten for more than 50 years in Russia, Bucharest has got back a valuable Greek scroll from the 4th Century BC.

Romanian archeologists are celebrating the return of an ancient scroll sent to Russia in the 1950s for restoration and never returned.

“This was one of the most important archeological discoveries of the last century. It is a Greek document from the 4th Century BC, which if deciphered should reveal much information about society in that time,” archeologist Alexandru Avram said.

The papyrus scroll was discovered in 1959 in Mangalia, southeastern Romania, site of an old Greek colony. It was soon sent to Moscow for restoration. But as Romania was a communist country and under Russian influence at the time, no pressure was brought to bear on the Soviets to return the scroll.