GERMANY: guideline on how to deal with metal detectorists and illegal excavations

The Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Baden-Württemberg just published a leaflet with guidelines on how to deal with metal detectorists or people carrying out illegal excavations. It includes the definitions of Raubgräber (someone excavating without permission) and Sondengänger (metal detectorists), and the current legal background in Baden-Württemberg. It is in any case suggested to call the police…

Freeports: Looted Palmyra relics seized by Swiss authorities at Geneva ports

Swiss authorities have seized cultural relics looted from Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, as well as from Libya and Yemen, which were being stored in Geneva’s free ports.The free ports provide highly secured warehouses where basically anything can be kept tax-free with few questions asked. The confiscated objects, from the third and fourth centuries, include…