Customs agents seized copper-alloy weaponry from over 3,000 years ago shipped from the Middle East after experts determined the artifacts were looted from graves in northern Iran.
Customs and Border Protection said Friday that the shipment in question, which was seized on Feb. 18, contained 36 copper-alloy short swords as well as 50 copper-alloy arrowheads.
The ancient weaponry first came to the attention of Philadelphia-area federal customs officials in October 2025, when the items, labeled as metal decorations, arrived in a package from the United Arab Emirates headed for Jacksonville, Florida.
The Customs and Border Protection antiquities unit then referred the items to an archaeologist at a Philadelphia university. The agency did not name the archaeologist or say which university they work for.
The archaeologist told officials on Feb. 13 that the artifacts are from between 1600 and 1000 B.C. and hail from a mountainous region of northern Iran that borders the southern part of the Caspian Sea.
Customs officials said that they suspect the swords and arrowheads were illegally looted by grave robbers. Customs and Border Protection is now holding on to the ancient artifacts pending an official disposition for the items.
While the U.S. has agreements with 30 other countries regarding the return of stolen and smuggled cultural and historical property, Iran is not one of them, according to WPVI-TV.
“The deceptive practices used to smuggle these treasures into the United States not only violate our import laws but also undermine efforts to preserve and protect the integrity of cultural history,” said Elliot Ortiz, CBP acting area port director in Philadelphia.
The agency told WPVI-TV that charges were not currently being pursued.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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