On March 18th of 2026, divers discovered a piece of marble from the Acropolis in Athens. This piece of history was located where a ship had sunk in 1802. The ship belonged to Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, where they used it to move sculptures from the previously famous Acropolis to the United Kingdom. Still, a dispute between Greece and the United Kingdom thrives due to illegal taking of the artifacts.
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient city that is located at the top of Athens, Greece. It contains many ancient buildings of great historical importance. Specifically, it is where the famous Parthenon, a temple to Athena, is located.
The pieces of marble found in that location are not fully recognizable, but archaeologists have said they could relate back to the Parthenon itself. According to Emily Czachor, at CBS News, she noted that, “The Ministry described the marble fragment… as decorative, and noted that it includes a sculptural feature resembling a water droplet, similar to the architectural style for which the Pathonon is known.” The items that the Lord Elgin was transferring were mythological scenes that date back to ancient Greece.
Following the shipwreck, the Lord Elgin had divers dive down to collect material that was on the ship. Many of the sculptures were obtained and sent to a British Museum. Currently, those artifacts reside there.
In recent times, archaeologists have been searching the area of said shipwreck for more than 15 years. The majority of the ship is no longer seen, but they have been able to pull a few things out in their dives. For example, they retrieved a chess set that dates back to the 19th century.
The museum in the United Kingdom has reportedly been in contact with the Greek government to negotiate a return of the artifacts to their original home.