Sculptures deal close, Bloomberg reports

The British Museum and Athens' Acropolis Museum are nearing a deal that would see the Parthenon Sculptures returned to Greece over time as part of a cultural exchange, according to a report by Bloomberg on Tuesday.

The deal would put an end to a battle over the ancient treasures that stretches back to the 1800s.

Citing persons familiar with the matter who declined to be identified because a deal hasn't been finalized, Bloomberg said an agreement would see a part of the marble sculptures sent to Athens on a rotating basis over several years. Other pieces would be effectively loaned to the London museum in exchange, and Britain may even obtain plaster reproductions of the Parthenon statues.

According to these sources, any agreement may be similar to the one reached last year, in which Greece reclaimed 161 antique treasures from New York's Metropolitan Museum of...