The Romanian Police have recovered approximately 5,000 archaeological artifacts following raids at treasure hunters in Western Romania’s Caras-Severin, Arad, Timis and Bihor counties. These date from the ancient to the medieval period, and are as diverse as fragments of ceramic pottery, coins or objects of adornment. Over 300 ancient and medieval coins, several medieval weaponry…
Aus dem DGUF-Newsletter vom 13. Oktober 2017: Der seit Jahrzehnten vertretenen Rechtsauffassung des österreichischen Bundesdenkmalamtes (BDA) zufolge galt gemäß § 11 Abs. 1 des Denkmalschutzgesetzes (DMSG) in Österreich eine Genehmigungspflicht für Grabungen und sonstige archäologische Nachforschungen (NFG-Pflicht) – unabhängig davon, ob auf einer konkret betroffenen Fläche das Vorkommen archäologischer Denkmale bereits bekannt ist (BDA 2016,…
By Alessandro Vanzetti. During the night between September 6th and 7th 2017, the mostly wooden structure protecting the Late Roman Villa at Faragola, Commune of Ascoli Satriano, province of Foggia, Apulia, Italy (41°13′41.76″ N, 15°33′35.47″ E) was destroyed by fire. The devastation of the covering structure is total, and the technicians of the Italian Cultural…
The new issue of the International Journal of Cultural Property is available now, with contributions discussing deaccession, the status of fauna as cultural property, the role Sotheby’s has played in the collection of Maya antiquities, the fascinating case of the Buddhist Mummy, and other contributions.
The Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property was adopted on 3 May 2017 and came into force on 19 May 2017 (Council of Europe Treaty Series no. 221). The Treaty is open for signature by the member States and the non-member States which have participated in its elaboration and for accession by other non-member…
Finally, the Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands (PAN) is online. All started with a project of Prof. dr. N.G.A.M. Roymans, University of Amsterdam. PAN is similar to the English and Welsh PAS, the Danish DIME, and the Flemish MEDEA, and all are part of the North Sea Area Finds Recording Group, which registers archaeological artefacts. The…
Eight crates containing 33 archaeological artifacts and 600 coins, including some ancient masterpieces dating to the 12th and 13th centuries B.C., arrived at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens from Munich end of March 2017. The remarkable finds, most in very good condition, included amphorae, bird-shaped vases, a pottery statue of a chariot driver and…
In an international conference, organised by Working with Cultural Objects and Manuscripts (WCOM), which will take place at the National Museum of Finland, Helsinki, on June 5-6, 2017, the topic of trafficked cultural objects in Finland is adressed. This in order to generate awareness and kick-start a national debate. The conference is organised with funding…
In a joint US-UK initiative financed by the SmartWater Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of the international crime-fighting company, SmartWater, a team of undercover operatives and trained Syrian Archaeologists have successfully applied SmartWater’s unique ‘traceable liquid’ to some of Syria’s most treasured historical artifacts, including two precious mosaics from the UNESCO World Heritage designated site of…
Donna Yates, archaeologist in the criminology department of the University of Glasgow, starts a free online course: From fakes and fraud, to thefts and trafficking, art crime has turned archaeological sites in Iraq and Syria into “lunar landscapes”, decapitated Buddha sculptures in Cambodia and left empty frames on museum walls. So how do we protect…
EAA-Committee on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Material 