Ali Kadhem, who heads the provincial branch of the antiquities department in Nasiriyah, said many of the pieces were handed over to antiquities officials in a recent ceremony in Baghdad, Azzaman reported.

Kadhem said most of the pieces were coins from ancient Mesopotamian times, while other pieces included various utensils and several pottery jars.

"The collection is bound to enrich the magnificent possessions of Iraq Museum's numismatics gallery," he said.

Numismatics is the historical study of currency.

Despite the recent returns and the pending renovation of two galleries in the National Museum in Baghdad, officials there said the museum has no plans to open its doors to the public soon.

Tens of thousands of historical artifacts were looted from the museum following the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003.