US returns ancient Gilgamesh tablet to Iraq
Washington (AFP) - A 3,500-year-old tablet recounting the epic of Gilgamesh was returned to Iraq Thursday after being stolen three decades ago and illegally imported to the United States. Iraqi Cultural Minister Hassan Nazim accepted the tablet during a ceremony in Washington. "To me, it means restituting self-esteem and the confidence in Iraqi society," he said. Despite its small size, the ancient artifact has immense cultural and historical value. It contains portions of the "Epic of Gilgamesh," considered one of the oldest works of literature in human history, which tells the story of a p...