Ancient artifact found in overseas ‘Home Decoration’ shipment to OK, feds say

Customs officials inspecting an overseas shipment arriving in Oklahoma discovered an ancient artifact initially thought to be a weapon, federal officials say.

The box, marked “Ceramic Ornament for Home Decoration” in the shipping manifest, arrived in Oklahoma City from the United Kingdom, according to a Sept. 18 U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.

The shipment was declared at $18, but on closer examination, officials quickly realized the object was likely ancient and priceless.

“Although the cardboard box was sealed and showed no signs of tampering, examination revealed a single ceramic vessel inconsistent with the manifest description,” officials said. “Based on the vessel’s condition and appearance, CBP officers suspected the item might be a protected cultural property, detained it, and notified Homeland Security Investigations.”

“CBP also contacted the purchaser and seller, but neither could provide provenance or documentation establishing lawful export or country of origin,” officials said.

An investigation was launched and officials reached out to the Polytechnic University of Milan in Italy, to help identify the mystery object, officials said. Based on photos provided, an expert determined “the vessel appeared authentic and could be a Byzantine-era ‘Greek fire’ hand grenade,” the release said.

The Byzantine empire is what remained of the Roman empire after it collapsed. The Byzantine era began in the early or late 300s, and ended in 1453 with the invasion of Constantinople by the Ottomans.

But during its reign, the Byzantines were known to use Greek fire in battle, particularly at sea where it was employed to set enemy ships ablaze, experts say. Water could not extinguish Greek fire, and to this day the exact formula for making the deadly substance is unknown.

However, antiquities experts in Oklahoma inspected the artifact closely and determined it is more likely a vessel for holding perfume or mercury, officials said. It is authentically Byzantine, they said, but where exactly it came from within the ancient empire is unclear.

The object was donated to the University of Oklahoma’s Sam Noble Museum, federal officials said.