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Heritage

Historic Maritime Recovery: Hundreds of Ancient Artifacts Rescued from Black Market in Alexandria

Thursday 26 December 2024 - 11:30

Egyptian authorities have successfully intercepted an extensive collection of Greco-Roman antiquities in a significant enforcement operation near Alexandria. Two individuals were apprehended on Monday for attempting to sell 448 historical artifacts illegally obtained from Abu Qir Bay.

The recovered collection represents a remarkable snapshot of ancient Mediterranean civilization, comprising 53 statues, three portrait busts, and an array of meticulously crafted bronze items. Among the findings were 12 spears featuring distinctive human-shaped heads, 14 bronze cups, 41 engraved axes, and 20 additional bronze artifacts. The discovery also included an impressive cache of 305 engraved coins.

The Interior Ministry reported that one of the suspects had previous encounters with law enforcement. During interrogation, both individuals confessed to retrieving the artifacts from the seabed of Abu Qir Bay, a historically rich underwater archaeological site near Alexandria.

Authentication experts have confirmed the artifacts' origins, dating them to the Greco-Roman period spanning from 500 BCE to 400 CE. The ministry's documentation revealed that the bronze artifacts have acquired a distinctive turquoise patina, a natural oxidation process that occurs over centuries of submersion.

This recovery highlights the ongoing challenges in protecting underwater cultural heritage sites and the persistent threat of antiquities trafficking in the region.

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