Photo: the lead fragment, measuring 45 cm (18 inches) by 35 cm (14 inches), dates back to between the 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD and was found on an island off the Syrian coast.

A 2000-year-old fragment of a lead sarcophagus is set to be returned to the Syrian National Museum, thanks to the efforts of experts at Newcastle University's Museum of Antiquities.

The small fragment dates back to between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD and was brought into the Museum of Antiquities by a Newcastle resident.

Some years ago it came into the possession of a Newcastle family, who recently decided to donate it to the university's museums.

"Over the years, I've learnt not to be too surprised at the artefacts which are brought into the museum for identification or as potential donations," said Lindsay Allason-Jones, Director of the Archaeological Museums at the university.

"But I was absolutely amazed when a lady struggled in with a very heavy panel from a Roman-Syrian lead sarcophagus."

Photo: the university's Museum of Antiquities is the principal institution dedicated to archaeology in the north east. Courtesy Newcastle University.

Measuring 45 cm (18 inches) by 35 cm (14 inches), the piece is incomplete so it is not certain if it came from the end panel or a side panel of a sarcophagus or box tomb.

it is decorated with a standing figure, rosettes and vegetation and its high quality suggests it was made for someone of considerable wealth.

It seems that the donor’s sister had been given the panel by a friend some years ago and now wanted it to go to the right museum. "It was finding the right museum that was the problem," said Lindsay Allason-Jones.

From the documentation that came with it, Lindsay was able to confirm that its current owner was legally entitled to donate the object. But the certificate of authenticity, from a French antiquities dealer, was handwritten and exactly where the piece had originated was unclear.

Photo: located within the university's Department of Classics, the Shefton Museum holds a small but widely recognised collection of artefacts from ancient Greece. Courtesy Newcastle University.

Months of detective work followed, until museum experts traced it back to the island city of Aradus on the Ile d'Arwad, off the coast of Syria; a site with a complex Phoenician and Roman history.

"It became obvious that neither the Museum of Antiquities nor the Shefton Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology were the right homes for the panel," said Lindsay, "so we contacted the Syrian Embassy in London to ask for their advice."

The Embassy in turn sought advice from the National Museum who expressed an interest in having the piece returned to Syria. The request was agreed to by the donors and the panel is set to be officially handed over to representatives from the Syrian Embassy on Tuesday June 1.

Members of the public will have a very brief opportunity to see the artefact on display at the Museum of Antiquities on Saturday May 29 and Monday May 31.