Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum has returned three ancient artifacts to Greece, aiming to turn what could be a blot on its reputation into an opportunity to deepen its international educational exchanges.

The more than century-old museum, whose collection includes more than 25,000 pieces from across the ancient world, said the repatriation came after its provenance researchers spent months confirming evidence provided by the Greek government that the items were either looted or illicitly excavated before coming into its possession.

The items include a marble statue of a muse from the second century BCE, a nearly 3,500-year-old Minoan larnax (bathtub) from Crete and the marble sculpture of a seated figure estimated to have been created between 350 and 325 BCE.

The museum held a Jan. 22 press conference announcing the return of the items during a visit of Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni.

Ms. Mendoni noted that these particular items, which hail from three distinct regions, began their journey home 15 years ago, when the Greek Ministry of Culture started compiling evidence, from Polaroid photos to court documents, that they should have never left Greek soil.

While an official request for repatriation was lodged in 2021, Ms. Mendoni credited “sincere dialogue” and a few key actors with bringing about their return.

For one, Greek Consul Theodoros Dimopoulos began pressing the issue with Emory after arriving in his posting in late 2020. Then, in August 2022, the museum appointed Henry S. Kim as its new executive director, replacing Bonnie Speed, who left the previous year after 18 years at the helm.

“Director Henry Kim did not content himself with a formal exchange of letters, but traveled to Athens in order to discuss the issue in person with directorate officials and to evaluate the arguments of the Greek side,” Ms. Mendoni said. “And it was he who recognized the weight of the documentary evidence…