Stolen Fossils Returned as Mongolia received 29 dinosaur specimens from France during a ceremony in Paris. Officials said the transfer marked a significant victory for cultural preservation and international legal cooperation.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth stated that French authorities seized the fossils in 2013 and 2015. Officers discovered some pieces on a vessel from Brazil and found others in a company’s storage facility. Investigators quickly opened a criminal case to determine the fossils’ origin.
France later requested assistance from Mongolia through a formal legal channel in 2016. Mongolian investigators traced the Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton to Mongolian soil and reported their findings. This confirmation strengthened Mongolia’s claim and kept Stolen Fossils Returned at the center of negotiations.
Years of work by prosecutors, cultural agencies, and diplomats eventually pushed the case forward. The Lyon Court of Appeal ruled on June 10, 2025, that Mongolia held legitimate ownership. The ruling closed a complex legal process that stretched over a full decade.
The collection includes a Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton and several theropod and oviraptorosaur specimens. Experts said the fossils hold major scientific value because they provide rare insights into prehistoric ecosystems. The set also contains eggs, jaws, teeth, ribs, claws, and various bone fragments.
Officials at the ceremony said international conventions supported Mongolia’s case. The country joined UNESCO’s 1970 Convention in 1992 and the UNIDROIT Convention in 2024. These agreements helped ensure Stolen Fossils Returned became a practical legal outcome.
Mongolia’s culture minister thanked French authorities for their cooperation and long-term support. She urged governments to increase efforts against fossil trafficking and protect global cultural heritage. She warned that illicit trading harms national identity and damages scientific understanding.
The fossils will now move to the Museum of Natural History of Mongolia for further study. Researchers will analyze the specimens and prepare them for public display. Several pieces will appear at the new National Museum of Natural Sciences when it opens in 2026.
