In what could very well be the plot of "National Treasure 3," but probably isn't, Nicolas Cage will return the stolen skull of a Tyrannosaurus bataar to Mongolia.

The New York Times reports the actor anonymously purchased the artifact in a 2007 luxury auction for $276,000. However, he was informed last year by the Department of Homeland Security that the skull had been stolen from the Gobi Desert.

A close relative of the more famous T. rex, the carnivorous Tyrannosaurus bataar roamed Asia about 70 million years ago. According to the newspaper, several skeletons of the dinosaur have been returned to Mongolia.

Cage is an avid collector of items ranging from cars to real estate to comic books. A copy of "Action Comics" #1 once owned by the actor sold at auction in 2011 for a record $2.16 million.