The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has returned a rare Sumerian statue, dating back to around 2500 BC, to Iraq, after a scientific study revealed that it was created using the oldest known hollow metal casting technique in human history.

The artifact, regarded as the oldest intact metal sculpture from the ancient world, was analyzed using CT scanning technology in Germany as part of a joint research project between the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.

Archaeologist Ruwa Abbas stated that the findings confirm Mesopotamia’s pioneering role in developing advanced artistic casting methods centuries before ancient Greece. Meanwhile, curator Kim Penzel noted that the statue represents a foundational stage in the history of early Sumerian civilization.

Iraq’s Ambassador Nizar Al-Khairallah hailed the statue’s return as “an affirmation of Iraq’s enduring legacy as the cradle of human civilization.”