Two weeks ago, the US customs seized 1000 to 1800 years old monoliths from Cameroon. These were the Ikom monoliths which are found in Nigeria and Western parts of Cameroon. It is important to note the age of these artifacts, 200 – 1000 AD !!! We will write a piece on the Ikom monoliths which are on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. Enjoy! Excerpts below are an article on the Barron’s website.

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US customs officials in Miami on Tuesday said they seized ancient carved stones from Cameroon known as Ikom monoliths that had been exported to the United States using fake documents.

Experts believe the stone sculptures were made sometime between 200 and 1,000 AD, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement.

According to UNESCO the carvings “bear a form of writing and a complex system of codified information .. each stone, like the human finger print, is unique from every other stone in its design and execution.“

The Ikom monoliths come from the area round the town of Ikom, in the state of Cross River in southern Nigeria bordering with Cameroon.

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