Italian authorities have seized numerous well-preserved artefacts from the third century BC that were initially looted from an Etruscan necropolis in the central region of Umbria. announcement from the country’s Ministry of Culture yesterday, November 19. The finds are intended to be sold on the illegal antiquities market and include decorated stone urns, two sarcophagi and numerous funerary objects from the Hellenistic period, police said. Reuters are “worth at least €8 million” (~$8.4 million).
The investigation to recover the illegally excavated objects began last April after the Carabinieri Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage obtained photographs “depicting numerous ash urns with semi-recumbent figures, typical of Etruscan culture”, which, according to the press of the ministry circulate on the black market. edition. The Etruscan civilization, adopted by the Roman Empire, flourished in central Italy between the eighth and third centuries BC. It is known for a thriving artistic and architectural culture, characterized by a glossy black earthenware pottery known as bucchero were and multifunctional, finely crafted bronze and copper objects that were widely traded in the Mediterranean. While other surviving artifacts from this period include richly decorated tombs and sculptures, there are few surviving texts and other written material except inscriptions.
With the help of a University of Rome professor, Tor Vergata, researchers were able to pinpoint the location of the necropolis in Citta della Pieve, just under 100 miles north of Rome. Authorities narrowed their search to a local business owner who had property adjacent to the necropolis. According to prosecutor Annamaria Greco, two people are currently charged with theft and trafficking in looted goods. The pair, described as “clumsy” and “amateurish” by Perugia chief prosecutor Raffaele Cantone, were identified after one of them posted a photo of himself with one of the looted items on Facebook. Reuters reported.
In total, police recovered eight urns, which were made of white travertine and decorated with carvings depicting battles, hunting scenes and the myth of Achilles and Troilus. They also recovered the sarcophagi, one of which contained a complete skeleton, and numerous funerary objects, including four bronze mirrors, a vessel still containing traces of perfume, a bone comb, and bronze buckets and jugs often used by Etruscan women during war . old banquet events.
