French authorities have seized a haul of over 27,000 archaeological artefacts ranging from Bronze Age bracelets to Roman coins that had been secretly amassed by a single person in the east of the country, customs said Wednesday. (RFI)
The seizure of the 27,400 objects was the result of a year-long investigation conducted by French customs, Belgian authorities and the French culture ministry. (RFI)
The man, who has not been named and now faces a criminal probe, had built up the collection for personal and trading purposes, the French customs service said. (RFI)
He had amassed the collection himself using metal detectors as well as what appears to be a deep archaeological knowledge. (Yahoo News)
The man had first aroused suspicion in 2019 when he told authorities he had found almost 15,000 Roman coins by chance on land he had acquired in Belgium. (Yahoo News)
Using a metal detector is outlawed in France except in scientific research. Under Belgian law, personal use of metal detectors is allowed, and the finder is entitled to keep his discoveries if he owns the land where they are found. (Artnet News)
Altogether, officials believe the treasures are worth €772,685 ($946,670), reports De Standard. (Artnet News)
Source: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/french-authorities-looted-archaeological-artifacts-1932317
Source: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/27-000-priceless-archaeological-artefacts-142859789.html
Categories: Archaeology
