This time the news comes from Shumen , a city located some
88 km
east of Varna
in Bulgaria
where four men have been arrested for trading and possessing archaeological
artefacts. Nothing new, I would say, were it not that the police came into action
and ceased 19 marble sculptures and plates as well as some 9,000 Roman coins
together with molds to produce imitations. More metal artefacts together with
some 80 coins were retrieved from another house. Also found were a Greek altar, a
lion’s head, a number of ancient figurines and the central part of a Greek
sarcophagus showing the head of Medusa.
The three Bulgarians who were arrested face
imprisonment of one to six years and fines ranging between BGN 1,000 and 20,000
if convicted. Why do I have the impression that they will not be convicted?
More alarming news comes from the Museum of Macedonia in Skopje, FYROM (meanwhile renamed Republic of Northern Macedonia). Here six people, including
two former officials from the museum, have been found guilty for stealing 160
artefacts from the museum between November 2011 and October 2013. The items,
among which we count silver and gold jewelry all date from the fourth century
AD and have been sold abroad through obscure channels making it impossible to
be traced.
It takes more than sledgehammers to kill our culture and heritage, and for what? A quick buck or simple greed of our proud human race? Very sad …
It takes more than sledgehammers to kill our culture and heritage, and for what? A quick buck or simple greed of our proud human race? Very sad …
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