A marble fragment that was illicitly taken from Ancient Olympia 80 years ago has been handed to the Greek authorities. The relic was voluntarily returned by a German citizen to the Greek Embassy in Berlin.

Τhe 75-centimeter-long ancient marble fragment is now stored at the museum of ancient Olympia, in southern Greece, where the Games were held in antiquity from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D.

The unnamed German donor believed the chunk may have come from the stadium, where most of the ancient events were held. It didn’t say how he acquired it. Ancient Olympia had an extensive stone drainage network to prevent flooding.

Dr Reinhard Senff, director of excavations at Olympia for the German Archaeological Institute, examined the fragment and ascertained that it is likely a section of a marble gutter.