Seven ancient statues and pottery vessels are headed back to their homeland in Italy after authorities said they tracked down the stolen items in New York City. Dating back as far as the eighth century B.C., the artifacts were looted by Italian tomb raiders in the 1990s, then were smuggled out of the country and eventually turned up at two New York art galleries, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Thursday while returning the artifacts to Italian officials.

“A big ‘grazie,’ ” said Italian Consul General Francesco Genuardi, thanking the city. “These pieces of art are a powerful display of the importance we attach, together, to the preservation of art heritage.” The three statues depict a rather friendly-looking ox, a warrior and the mythological hero Herakles, also known as Heracles and Hercules. The four pottery pieces include a wine jug decorated with rams and panthers, a drinking cup featuring two goats butting heads, and two oil flasks. The items, each from the third century B.C. or earlier, are valued at over $90,000 in all.