"Those Vases" Again: A Collector Still Dreams But Looks in the Wrong Places

The serial "Ancient Egyptian" hardstone vase buyer from the USA is still at it:

Matt Beall @MattbLimitless
I wrote [to] Thomas Haddy, perhaps the world’s top modern stone vessel maker and offered to pay him to recreate some ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels. He replied and let me know that he would need to upgrade to diamond tipped tools, and he wasn’t sure if it could be done at all. 

 

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He's blocked me from replying, so I cannot respond to this there, but that's probably not a loss he feels as he has lots of layman followers who are very happy to share their ideas with him. Note some of the hostility directed towards archaeologists and Egyptologists here:

hazmatpackrat @hazmatpackrat · 2h
I love this Matt. It sinks a knife deep into to the phony nonarguments against ancient tech. They wasted a lot of words when the ultimate rebuttal for the naysayers is simply to recreate one of these incredible vases. And yet, they just can't seem to do it.

Be Expert International @Be_Expert_Int · 38m
It's man-made stone like alabaster or cement. Search cultured stone. They didn't move the massive blocks 100s of km up and down mountains. They made the stone like concrete. It's not a mystery.

jbschirtzinger @jbschirtzinger · 2h
Clearly the technology is lacking in understanding something that was to the ancient world rather simple..

X marks the Truth @Xmarksthetruth · 3h
Just these little vases should be enough to eradicate all ancient Egyptian archaeological theories.
They are a marvel.... and a mystery!.

DavidLiberty @Davidliberty002 · 3h
Maybe Thomas should talk to some Egyptologists. They know exactly how to carve these vases with a stick and some flint. They’ve told us it’s easy peasy. I’d love to hear one explain this theory to Thomas directly. 😂

Exwarito @ExwaritoWC · 4h
Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! He should get some diamond-tipped bronze chisels and some diamond-tipped dolorite pounding rocks.

Note (1), as far as I was aware before he blocked me, there is not a single precision-lathed vessel in the Beall collection that had an incontrovertible origin in a sealed archaeological context. All are items from the collectors' market. As such they are not incontrovertibly authentic/ancient. Source criticism (data hygeine) should therefore eliminate them from any discussion on ancient technology.

(2) If he wants to know how they were made why go to some artist with "four years experience" from Grass Valley, California, USA? Seems a bit pointless to me. What he needs to do is go to the places where they turn out knockoff "antiquities" of hardstone. Thailand would be a good place to start. There are workshops there turning out well-made (but often stylistically 'off') "antiquities" for the international online market. Some of them have been turning up in galleries (oh yes). Most of the workshps seem to be in Bangkok (?) and they fake material of various cultures of the ancient world - or the Eurasian part of it, including ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. There are Pakistani workshops, but they mainly stick to Gandhara - some quite good. In Mainland China there are a bunch of "antiquities" workshops down south that produce jade and 'jade' "antiquities" (including patinated "archaeological" examples) - in Guangzhou especially [there are also workshops here that do deceptive bronzes, but their main fake output is highly dangerous for the unwary western collector, "rare porcelain"]. There are also stoneworking ('jade' and crystal) workshops further north (Beijing etc) that among other things seem to be responsible for the amusing series of "Hong-Shan artefacts" (gotta love them). In Mr Beall's place, I'd not overlook the backstreets of Cairo. My feeling is that Bulgaria/Balkan workshops would not be up to them, the Middle Eastern ones I've seen are generally clumsy and made without understanding the theme. These are probably not the sort of things that would be made by the Ukrainian or Turkish workshops either. 

(3) All this nonsense about diamond-tipped tools sounds a bit of a fob-off to me. None of the minerals in the rocks these vases (ancient and not-so-ancient) are that hard. Also I wonder whether there is just a little too much thinking inside the box going on here. A lathe is not only a cutting tool, but a grinding one. I am thinking that a cutting tool will potentially rip grains out (for example a harder quartz grain next to a feldspar or mica) unless there is a lot of control of rotation and cutting rates. Grinding however (when there is a multiple number of almost-microscopic cutting edges applied evenly to the surface) would produce a greater effect. Here the abrasive agencies would be a bonded abrasive mass composed of: a ceramic such as silicon carbide (carborundum); aluminium oxide (corundum); and CBN (cubic boron nitride). These would not leave any metallic traces on the cut stone (which I know the vase-fondlers have been looking for and failing to find - they think it disproves the "copper chisel" [straw man] argument of their own invention.

[As a side-note: I do wonder whether the surfaces of a rotating object could be reduced faster, but with no loss of quality, by bringing into contact with it a broad abrasive wheel or sphere of artificial abrasive rotating at high speed (either in the same direction as its rotation or against it). But that is not something I have ever seen done, so do not know if it is in any way realistic as a method for the faker. I do not think my neighbours would appreciate me trying it in the garage with a high-speed drill. I bet Mr Beall has a bigger garage than me to try].

"Middle Class Elitist Pursuits" Like Museums Face Cutbacks in Ever-Dumber Britain

I expect the Portable Antiquities Scheme forum will be buzzing about this one 

All those metal detectorists will be livid as it will hinder their "research" on the original documents in their pursuit of knowledge about the past. Still, there is a phone app. 

UK Metal Detecting Permit "was an Error"

[Pipeline News] A group of artefact hunters called the "Troops Detecting Club UK" (354 members) has obtained a seach-and-take agreement to hold a commercial artefact hunting rally on the site of a former 1930s air base in South Cerney, Gloucestershire (the Duke of Gloucester Barracks). The UK Ministry of Defence was taken by surprise on learning the news and confirmed that its policy has not changed and that metal detecting is not permitted on Ministry of Defence land except in highly controlled circumstances. The Ministry of Defence aditted: "this event was permitted in error and has now been cancelled". The UK's Ministry of Defence made an error?

Just a Reminder There is a Destructive Elephant in this Room

Just a reminder, a counter for England and Wales that I set up with a late colleague as long ago as 2006 has been ticking away under "metal detecting"s supporters' noses ever since. Today the number of looted objects is 12,931,897 items (twelve MILLION) since the beginning of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (who conspicuously ignore it and its implications for the archaeological record). @findsorguk

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You can go Treasure Hunting with Grok

 Who is surprised by the thought-provoking number of comments on this video by (a) the Portable Antiquities Scheme or any other archaeological body, and (b) the many (allegedly) "[archaeologically] responsible detectorists" out there? .

Metal Detecting Adventures In Lost pic.twitter.com/2K6BA7eSoV

— Treasure Valley Metal Detecting Club (@TVMDClub) December 15, 2024

Posted on Twitter by Treasure Valley Metal Detecting Club @TVMDClub​ Dec 15th 024

.TVMDClub: "We are a group of detectorists committed to promoting the hobby of metal detecting through education and implementation. Join us in our adventures. Boise, ID". Most of the posts are AI-generated and are under the name Jason Smith (allegedly another claiming to be an ex-Marine, a lot of them about in the alt-hist community). Site has no real content, all AI-generated fluff, possibly a disinformation troll account.

The regime of Bashar al-Assad has fallen in Syria

 

The group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham has taken control of Damascus, the Syrian capital.Reports indicate Syrian soldiers have fled across the border, seeking refuge in Iraq. Gunfire is heard in the streets, and prisoners are being released from jails. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali stated that he is ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people. This is a fitting end to Bashar al-Assad's 24-year reign of power, which was truly filled with only the worst. Now, the region faces uncertainty. Will this mark the end of an era or the start of greater turmoil?An IL-76 aircraft, reportedly carrying Bashar al-Assad, has disappeared from radar. Local media suggest it may have crashed, but this information has not been confirmed yet.

Also unconfirmed reports claim that the Israeli Defense Force has launched a ground operation into Syria's Quneitra Province, deploying tanks and armored vehicles from the Golan Heights. Israel characterizes this military action as a measure to bolster border defenses in response to regional instability.

Syria: Sites like Palmyra and Dura-Europos need urgent protection

Adnan ALMOHAMAD @Adnan77227624

 

Syria at the Moment

The situation on the ground in Syria is changing daily. Assad's whereabouts are disputed, the rebels are moving south taking more and more territory. The Russians are on the run too.*  For the fourth consecutive day, hundreds of individuals, including members of the Alawite, Ismaili, Yazidi, Circassian and Armenian minorities, as well as some Sunni Muslims, continued to try to leave the Aleppo region. There are persistent reports of disappearances, Local sources alleged that these disappearances were the result of targeted executions conducted by HTS, based on pre-compiled lists. 

It looks like much of the country will soon be under the control of the Sunni Islamist militants of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), their leader Abu Mohammed al-Joulani proclaims that when they've finished off the Assad regime, they will establish a government based on a people’s council, whatever that will mean for the country and its people. It is worth noting that HTS has Al-Qaeda roots and is still on the US terror list (but has been trying to gain legitimacy using for example a modified 'antiquities' policy that it feels the West will like - as reported here some months ago).

Over to the west is also the Syrian National Army (SNA): A coalition of armed rebel groups, including the Free Syrian Army, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Levant Front (it's worth noting that the Syrian free army is made up partially of Kurds).  Supported by Turkey, the SNA controls areas in northwestern Syria and has participated in recent offensives alongside HTS.

Meanwhile Assad's regime forces seem to have abandoned large areas of southern and south-central Syria (in fact part of this area is simply empty desert).

From Twitter.

The is still around Homs, 160 kms from Damascus.  At the same time, rebel groups from the south are already much closer to the capital. These more moderate rebel groups (supported by Jordan, US) are are not HTS but a mix of rebel groups, a coalition of various armed Druze tribes and Syrian opposition groups operating in southern Syria, particularly in the Daraa, Suwayda and Tanf regions. In order to take advantage of the situation, they have now (from Dec 6th 2024) formally organized into the so-called "Southern Operations Room (SOR)" who is coordinating offensives in the south, capturing cities like Daraa and advancing towards Damascus. As Jenan Moussa @jenanmoussa points out:

Traditionally, rebel groups in the south near Jordan were less influenced by extremist groups such as Nusra, HTS or ISIS. This because Jordan -contrary to Turkey- kept its borders with Syria closed and did not allow foreign fighters to sneak into Syrian opposition territories. [...] So who will reach Damascus first? Groups from the north or from the south? And are both groups coordinating operations or not? If not, will there be a stand-off possibly leading to a Libya scenario whereby the country gets carved up by different rebel groups and backers?

Apart for the humanitarian issues, what effect will that have on the protection of cultural property in the region?

*In December 2017, Putin flew to Syria with the message: "If the terrorists raise their heads again, we will strike them [from the Russian bases in Syria] in a way that they have not yet seen." Today, the Russian army is evacuating from Tartus and Khmeimim and fleeing Syria. It is difficult to over estimate what a massive strategic blow and internationally recognised humiliation this is for Russia. It is possibly their biggest total defeat since Afghanistan.

Cumbrian Treasure find reports drop by over 20 per cent

         Cumbrian MD at it        

Ollie Rawlinson 'Cumbrian treasure find reports drop by over 20 per cent' NWEMail 1 Dec 2024.

Bad show from the detectorists up North, either they are finding less because they've knackered almost all of the accessible sites (destructive blighters), or they are keeping more without reporting it (thieving blighters). Which is it? 

Provisional data from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport shows  1,358 treasure finds were reported in England and Wales in 2023, down slightly from 1,367 the previous year but the second-highest figure since records began in 1996. Last year was also the tenth in a row where treasure discoveries across the two countries exceeded 1,000. In Cumbria, 18 treasure finds were reported in 2023, down from 23 the year before. [...]
Keith Westcott, CEO and founder of the Detectorists Institute and Foundation, said the significant number of treasure finds reported last year highlights the "critical importance" of ensuring artefacts are retrieved in a sustainable way and that their heritage is preserved.

That's bonkers. How on earth can taking from a finite resource be in any way sustainable? How much heritage is preserved when most don't have the knowledge to identify finds in situ (that's besides any loss of context by the use of their standard method of hoiking)? Britain has lost the plot.

Syria: rebels launch major offensive in north-west and gain territory

In Syria, disturbing events are unfolding in the ongoing civil war that has been waging there since 2011 (David Gritten, 'Syria rebels launch major offensive in north-west and gain territory' BBC News 29 Nov 2024). Rebel forces have launched a significant offensive in northwestern Syria, marking the first major territorial gains against President Bashar al-Assad's forces in years. Last month, the UN's special envoy for Syria warned that escalating conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon were dangerously intensifying tensions in northwestern Syria. The Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions reported capturing several towns and villages across Aleppo and Idlib provinces since Wednesday. These areas lie within Syria's last opposition stronghold, home to over 4 million people, many of whom are displaced and living in dire conditions. While HTS dominates the enclave, Turkish-backed rebel groups under the Syrian National Army (SNA) and Turkish forces are also present. In 2020, a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia, Assad's key ally, temporarily halted a government offensive to reclaim Idlib. However, sporadic violence, including airstrikes and shelling, has persisted since. Now Russia had resumed air strikes on the enclave for the first time in months, and pro-government forces had significantly accelerated drone strikes and shelling. By the end of the first day of the offensive, the rebels had advanced into the western Aleppo countryside, taking them within 10km (6 miles) from the outskirts of Aleppo city, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Disciplinary proceedings against German Archaeologist

                Metal detecting for Artefacts - but it is proper          
               documentation of CONTEXT that is important     

A senior archaeologist from Koblenz employed by the Directorate General for Cultural Heritage is facing disciplinary proceedings potentially involving falsified or misrepresented discoveries from a number of sites. The Interior Ministry in Mainz made the first allegations known in October after his former university had contacted them with some doubts they had about the contents of the doctoral theis he had written there many years previously. He was accused at the time of somehow deliberately misdating 21 skulls, allegedly publishing them as prehistoric, when they were from the Middle Ages or even from modern times, an accusation he denied.

 
Now 18 more possible suspicious cases have been added said Interior State Secretary Simone Schneider in Mainz on Monday. Allegations against the manreportedly include discrepancies in the documentation and dating of multiple sites he investigated since 1997. The man has been suspended from work and all suspected cases are now being systematically processed, the public and science will be continuously informed about the progress of the investigation and its results in order to avert further scientific damage. According to the ministry, various experts from other federal states are involved in the investigation.

One of the cases involved concerns doubts emerging regarding the authenticity of the discovery of the site of a battle described by Tacitus in 70AD involving Roman forces suppressing a rebellion by the Treveri, a Celtic-Germanic tribe. The site was identified in 2015 on a large meadow near Riol in the Trier-Saarburg district ("Schlachtfeld von Riol"). The discovery was made in collaboration with metal detectorists who apparently found a collection of about 20 metal finds that seemed to have confirmed the findspot as the battlefield kknowen from the written sources. They included buckles from chain mail, iron spear tips and lead slingshot. The pieces were exhibited at the state exhibition on Emperor Nero in 2016 in three museums in Trier. Now doubts are being raised about the authenticity of this discovery, recent reviews have deemed the archaeological database for the site "inadequate," raising questions about the accuracy of its location and the provenance of artefacts found there, particularly the spearheads attributed to the battle. While the historical reality of the Battle of Riol itself is not in question, the authenticity of this specific site as its location is now under scrutiny. If proven false, this could have significant implications for the historical narrative of the region.

Among the other cases is believed to be the case of a supposed Neanderthal skullcap from the Wannenköpfe quarry near Ochtendung, which it seems has also been exposed as a forgery. It was originally dated to be 160,000 to 170,000 years old, but in an external laboratory, the skull fragments were dated to the early Middle Ages (7th/8th century AD) and not to the Paleolithic period, writes the Interior Ministry.

These developments highlight a growing need for rigorous verification in archaeological research to protect the integrity of historical scholarship.

References
Südwestrundfunk, 'Archäologie-Skandal in Koblenz weitet sich offenbar aus Stand' Südwestrundfunk 25.11.2024.

Martina Lippl, 'Zwei spektakuläre Funde wohl gefälscht – Deutscher Archäologe im Fokus' Frankfurter Rundschau 27.11.2024.



Gisela Kirschstein, 'Fälschungen in der Landesarchäologie: Weder Neandertaler in Ochtendung noch Römerschlacht in Riol – 18 neue Verdachtsfälle' Mainzund.de Internetzeitung Mainz 25.11.2024.

dpa, 'Archäologie-Skandal: Forscher soll bei Schädeln und Schlachtfeld getrickst haben', Berliner Zeitung . 27.11.2024.

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Thailand Still Thinking About Ratification of 1970 UNESCO Convention

Marisa Chimprabha, 'Thailand closer to ratifying UN convention on trafficking in cultural property' Thai PBS 20 Nov 2024.

Thailand has completed drafting legislation to prevent illicit activities involving cultural property, though the document has yet to pass cabinet and parliamentary scrutiny. Thailand, historically rich in cultural sites and artefacts, is one of six ASEAN countries which are yet to ratify the 1970 UN Convention. Only Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam have ratified it so far. Thailand is a major source of looted artefacts, as a source country as well as a major transshipment country (in particular to the USA) for looted artefacts from across the Middle East and beyond. It is also a source of an increasing number of fake artefacts purporting to be from these regions.

Pseudoarchaeology

Posted on You Tube by The Archaeologist's Laboratory
@thearchaeologistslaborator6591 Jan 7, 2023 (6,571 views)

Italian police recover £6m treasure looted by Artefact Hunters

 

An ancient site was damaged by artefact hunters who accidentally discovered an Etruscan cemetery on their land in Citta della Pieve, located approximately 90 miles (150 km) north of Rome. They removed a number of items from the graves (including a sarcophagus containing the complete skeleton of a woman in her forties) and tried to sell them on the black market. The site was irreversibly impacted by the clumsy attempts to extract the artefacts. The latter included eight painted vases, and beauty accessories such as a bronze mirror and a perfume bottle ("still retaining its scent"), and were valued at over €8 million (£6.7 million). According to Perugia chief prosecutor Raffaele Cantone, the damage inflicted on the necropolis by two entrepreneurs who stumbled upon the burial chambers while excavating their property was extensive. They "had nothing to do with the world of professional tomb raiders" but were "clumsy" and "amateurish" in their attempt to access the black market.

The pair drew the attention of the authorities after they posted pictures of the artifacts online to find buyers. Authorities then began monitoring their phones, conducting stakeouts, and using drones to track their activities. The police intervened when one of the suspects posted a picture on Facebook of himself with one of the artifacts.

Both individuals face charges of theft and trafficking in stolen goods, with potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Good.

Italian police recover £6m treasure looted by amateur 'tomb raiders' MSN

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Anti-Social Awareness Week

                                                                           

HE Heritage Crime @HeritageCrime · Nov 17

"Tomorrow marks the start of Anti-Social Awareness Week, look out for updates relating to partnership action and activity to prevent anti-social behaviour in the historic environment".

But I bet once again it will shrink from saying what should be being said about collection-driven exploitation of the archaeological record. As per usual.

Lebanon: 34 cultural properties placed under enhanced protection

 
The UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict has decided to grant provisional enhanced protection to 34 cultural properties in Lebanon and to grant international financial assistance to support the implementation of emergency heritage measures. UNESCO Press Release 18 November 2024 'Lebanon: 34 cultural properties placed under enhanced protection":

On 30 October, at the request of the Lebanese authorities, UNESCO convened an extraordinary session of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. This was held on Monday at the Organization's headquarters in Paris. It resulted in the provisional inclusion of 34 Lebanese cultural properties on the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection, including the World Heritage sites of Baalbek and Tyre, near to which strikes have recently been recorded.

These 34 cultural properties now benefit from the highest level of immunity against attack and use for military purposes. Non-compliance with these clauses would constitute ‘serious violations’ of the 1954 Hague Convention and would constitute potential grounds for prosecution.

The sites placed under enhanced protection will receive technical and financial assistance from UNESCO to reinforce their legal protections, improve risk anticipation and management measures, and provide further training for site managers in this area. Enhanced protection also helps send a signal to the entire international community of the urgent need to protect these sites.

This emergency initiative falls within the framework of the 1954 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property and its Second Protocol drawn up in 1999. It complements the actions already undertaken by UNESCO in recent weeks to protect Lebanon's cultural heritage.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, UNESCO has been in close contact with site managers, cultural professionals and national authorities. The Organization has offered its support in identifying emergency measures, inventorying museum collections, and moving works that can be moved to safe locations elsewhere in Lebanon.

UNESCO is also carrying out satellite monitoring of historical and heritage sites, in order to assess their state of conservation and any damage they have incurred, in partnership with UNOSAT, the United Nations Satellite Centre.

UNESCO has also set up an emergency programme for Lebanon covering the culture, education, information and communication sectors. The Organization is calling on its Member States to support the implementation of this programme with financial contributions.

Making Knowledge Ain't Just Digging up Old Stuff

A chip on the shoulder:

@graceygrumble 1 month ago (edited)
Detectorists and 'amateur' historians have made incalculable contributions to our discovery and understanding of the past. [....] The UK has a history of interested amateurs, more focused on 'doing' as opposed to expecting it to be done. Passion drives progress. We have an extraordinary number of people who are, for the most part, focused on 'giving back' as opposed to 'wealth creation'. Who were we? Who are we? What could we be? If we all waited around until someone with a 'certificate' was interested, we would know very little. We don't always need money to be enriched.

My reply: 

"If we all waited around until someone with a 'certificate' was interested, we would know very little". What do you mean by that? How many actual archaeological reports or articles about the "things found", for example in "Antiquity", "Britannia", "Medieval Archaeology" or by publishers like Brill or Routledge have been written by blokes and lasses off the street who happen to have metal detectors. How do you define "making knowledge"?

Can you not do better first aid, and avoid making bad mistakes, in the case of somebody who's suffered an accident if you HAVE done a course and been taught how to do it? that is get the proper qualifications? As in anything like that, no?

The Metal Detecting PROBLEM: One Person's View

"We ask the question. Is Metal Detecting Ruining Archaeology?" ummm, yeah... duh. And it's not just the "nighthawks"

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Posted on You Tube (The Metal Detecting PROBLEM. ) by Paul Whitewick

But we need more people asking this question. 

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Russian Archaeologist Accused of Conducting Illegal Excavations in Ukraine

 

                                                                                            

The press service of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General are reporting that the head of the archaeology department at Russia’s State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has been charged in absentia for conducting illegal excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea for over 10 years. After the occupation of the peninsula and to this day, the "Myrmekian Archaeological Expedition" of the Hermitage has been operating illegally, without having any permits from the competent authorities of Ukraine. These actions of the suspect are actually destroying a legally protected monument of national importance.

The SBU, together with the National Police and the Prosecutor's Office, has gathered evidence against a Russian citizen who has been looting Ukraine's cultural heritage in the temporarily occupied Crimea. [...] In 2014, the archaeologist led an expedition personally visited by Putin, which has been conducting illegal excavations for more than 10 years at a Ukrainian cultural heritage site in Crimea. This includes unauthorized excavations across hundreds of square meters at the Ukrainian archaeological complex Ancient City of Myrmekion, located in the Kerch region. Russians have removed the so-called cultural layer of the Ukrainian peninsula to a depth of nearly 2 meters. [...] Based on the collected evidence, the archaeologist has been notified in absentia of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 298 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal archaeological excavations, destruction, or damage to cultural heritage sites, carried out with the purpose of finding movable artifacts originating from archaeological heritage sites). The individual is planned to be placed on an international wanted list to bring him to criminal responsibility for crimes against the cultural heritage of Ukraine [...]

During the 10 years of occupation, the Russian Federation and its occupation administration have facilitated illegal archaeological excavations on the territory of the peninsula, which has led to the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Ukraine. The occupiers also carry out illegal restorations of such sites in order to distort the history of Crimea and demonstrate its "Russian" component. The investigation into the work at the M site is being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

A 2021 report by the 'Golos Krimu' [Crimean Voice] shows the extent of the activities by the occupant: 'Myrmekion. Consequences of the occupation for cultural heritage'.

Involvement of one of the leading scientific cultural institutions of the Russian Federation (the State Hermitage) in unlawful activities on the archeological site increases the threat of impunity for the destruction of the site due to the business, scientific and cultural ties of this institution and its employees with scientific, cultural, political circles of foreign countries. The actions of the occupation authorities, which resulted in unlawful appropriation, unlawful archeological excavations, during which archeological artifacts were seized are a violation of international humanitarian law. These actions of the Russian Federation, together with other actions of the Occupying Power in their entirety may constitute a war crime in the form of extensive destruction and appropriation of cultural property, not justified by military necessity, and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.

Confirmation that this activity is ongoing comes from the website of the Hermitage Museum archaeological expedition in Myrmekion.

Sources

Espresso, 'Russian archaeologist charged with looting Ukrainian heritage in Crimea' Espresso 15 November, 2024 

Anastasiia Bolshakova, 'Russian archaeologist who carried out illegal excavations in Crimea served with notice of suspicion', Ukrainska Pravda Friday, 15 November 2024,

Stolen goddess figurine from Catalhoyuk returns to Türkiye

                                                 

A Mother Goddess figurine, dating back 9,000 years, discovered in the 1960s during excavations at the ancient site of Catalhoyuk, has now been brought back to Türkiye and is on display in Konya. The figurine had been illegally taken by looters from the Catalhoyuk site in the late 1960s (the circumstances are not reported) and had been smuggled abroad to become part of the Shelby White collection in the United States (the circumstances are not reported, presumably a dealer was involved, no?). After a long and difficult process and through the diligent efforts of Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it was successfully repatriated from the United States (no circumstances of why it was made a long process once the object was spotted are reported, did White kick up a fight?). Claire Voon noted in 2022 when objects were seized from this collection: "An ongoing investigation into White's collection expects to see more objects repatriated in the future", this seems one of them. How many more were there? 

References
Koray Erdogan, 'Stolen goddess figurine from Catalhoyuk returns to Türkiye' Turkiye Ttoday Nov 14, 2024

Claire Voon, 'Looted antiquities returned to Turkey and Italy were seized from New York home of Met trustee Shelby White' The Art Newspaper 2 December 2022 .

Russia Closes its only GULAG Museum, blaming architectural design

 

         Out of concern for public safety...             

The State Nuseum of GULAG History in Moscow, the only state museum in Russia devoted to Stalin's repressions and to the system of GULAG, will close on November 14, 2024. The Museum posted the following reason for the supposedly temporary closure (translation): 

  “As a result of the museum inspection by specialists from the Center for Expertise, Research and Testing in Construction, fire safety violations were identified. According to the conclusion, they pose a threat to the safety and comfortable stay of museum visitors and must be eliminated.”

The GULAG History State Museum was opened in 2004 and its exposition is devoted to the history of the labour camp's system, the paramount integral part of the Soviet state machine during 1930-50s years. One of the most important sections of the exposition is the reconstruction of some details of camp daily life. The Museum has 46 staff, 20 of them curatorial and had some 27000 visitors a year.

There is however an interactive GULAG online virtual museum run from Czechia, and a YouTube channel (in Czech), and the decaying ruins of the ca,mps themseleves, and the monumental projects their occupants were coerced into executing, are still out there in the countryside of Russia and also surrounding countries.

 Maybe we should expand some of our Polish museums to more fully document this phenomenon if the Russians can't manage this historical honesty? Enough Poles were also affected by this Soviet system to justify that.

Thinking Takes Time in Great Britain

 

The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a comparatively new organization, so its not surprising they've not really got around to thinking this one through... I'm sure it will not be long before they think something up...

French Artefact Hunter Fined

               Hooded culture thief            

Plus de 13 000 objets récupérés illégalement par un archéologue amateur du sud de la Marne L'Ardennais 13/11/2024.

More than 13,000 objects were illegally recovered by an amateur archaeologist from the south of the Marne, and because the looter kept objects and remains from excavations carried out outside any legal framework at home , the sixty-year-old was ordered by the court to pay nearly 400,000 euros to the customs services. 

Why do they do it if they know they'll get trouble if they are caught breaking the law?

The "|Oldest-Known Carving of the Ten Commandments" at Sotheby's [Updated]

Intriguing, in a "Books and Manuscripts" (sic) sale, what is billed as "one of the most widely known and influential texts in history" [depends for whom, eh?] is coming to Sotheby’s this December: the oldest inscribed stone tablet of the Ten Commandments:

Sothebys 
Dating to the Late Byzantine period, this remarkable artifact is approximately 1,500 years old and is the only complete tablet of the Ten Commandments still in existence from this early era.

Weighing 115 pounds and measuring approximately two feet in height, the marble tablet inscribed in Paleo-Hebrew script, was unearthed in 1913 during railway excavations. The twenty lines of text incised on the stone closely follow the Biblical verses familiar to both Christian and Jewish traditions.

It will be offered as a single-lot sale on 18 December at #SothebysNewYork. Don’t miss its public display in our York Avenue galleries, beginning 5 December. Discover more of the tablet’s incredible story through the link in bio.

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Posted on You Tube by Sotheby's .

"the marble tablet inscribed in Paleo-Hebrew script, was unearthed in 1913 during railway excavations"and it just so happens to have the correct amount of "aesthetic earth" in the crevices and broken off in all the right places to make it displayable. What was its function? Where? 

Its provenance goes back to Ottoman times (or the 1940s?). Apparently this bit of a standing building came on the market by being "rescued" from native ignorance by a benign and enlightened dealer from being negligently used as a paving slab. "For 30 years, it sat as a paving stone outside someone’s home, with the inscription facing upwards, allowing it to be stepped on. In 1943, it was sold to a scholar who realized its significance"

Exported legally from Israel in 2005, it was owned by the "Living Torah Museum" in Brooklyn, New York then changed hands via Heritage Auctions in 2016 for 850k, the buyer was under an obligation to display it publicly

The text is translated here and we are told that this Samaritan-related object was published in 1947 (just after it was found by Y. Kaplan) by the Zionist activist Yitzhak Ben-Zvi 

Update

The 10 Commandments sold for $4.2 million (double the high estimate).

UK Detectorists dig up nature reserve

 

Stuart Maisner, 'Warning after detectorists dig up nature reserve' BBC South East 11.11.24.

 "Filled in their holes, bless them...."

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Visitors to The Larches nature reserve in Detling, Kent, have been urged to exercise caution due to a series of holes left by selfish artefact hunters with spades and metal detectorists. Kent Wildlife Trust warned that the holes pose a trip hazard, potentially leading to injury.

The 25-hectare reserve, a rare chalk grassland situated between the North Downs Way and the Pilgrims Way, is popular with horse riders, dog walkers, and hikers. Alison Ruyter, regional manager for the trust, criticized those responsible for the damage, saying their actions not only harmed the wildlife habitat but also created a safety risk for visitors. Ruyter explained: “Although the person responsible has attempted to fill in the holes, they have damaged plant roots, which can dry out the turf and kill the plants.”

The Trust added that it has been facing ongoing problems with metal detectorists causing similar damage to nature sites across Kent. In its statement, the Trust appealed to metal detector-using heritage looters to respect protected habitats and to seek permission before accessing such areas. Stupid Brits still want to believe they can reason with these people.

 
Note, this article is not about thieving bastard "metal detector enthusiasts" being warned, but by innocent non-looting users of the land they spoilt to avoid injury as a result of the toleration of these looters. 

My Arrowhead Collection, North Georgia Arrowheads

 

 Georgia Creekwalker ( 1.6K subscribers) “My Arrowhead Collection, North Georgia Arrowheads” posted on You Tube 2 years ago 10K views 

 I don't see many here that are labelled with findspot. So how many sites is that he's damaged to acquire this lot?

Dozens of Sites Looted, but "Spoko, it's all on da Database"

Bragger @medieval_digger ( · Sep 14) who likes photographing bits of his own body festooned with dugup artefacts writes:

Some more random metal detecting finds! Everything is reported in our national database for archeological finds: PAN. As required by Dutch law. I’ve never sold anything, I’m not in it for the money but for the Archeological/ historical value!

So when it has been "reported to PAN", what happens then? What use are data about a load of loose objects taken out of context? Serious question for Dutch archaeologists, what do you use these "data" for?

China - Revised cultural relics protection law provides strong legislative support for recovery, return of lost treasures

          Looters sentenced in People's Court in Wushan            

Huo Zhengxin, Revised cultural relics protection law provides strong legislative support for recovery, return of lost treasures Global Times : Nov 10, 2024  

The revised Law on Protection of Cultural Relics, adopted by China’s National People's Congress, will take effect on March 1, 2025. It represents a historic achievement in China's legal framework for cultural relics protection, as it marks a major step forward in enhancing China's use of legal tools to protect its heritage and fulfill its international obligations, underscoring the central leadership's strategic vision for unified domestic and international legal governance in cultural heritage. A key feature of the revision is the introduction of provisions for the repatriation of cultural relics that have been lost abroad. This responds to public interest and addresses a long-standing challenge in China’s efforts to recover stolen or illegally exported cultural artifacts. While China has made progress in recovering such relics, the lack of clear legal support for repatriation had previously hindered these efforts. The new law includes Article 81, which formalizes the repatriation process. The first clause of Article 81 emphasizes international cooperation to recover cultural relics lost abroad due to theft or illegal export. It tasks China’s State Council’s cultural relics department, in coordination with other relevant agencies, to pursue the return of these artifacts. The clause also requires China to cooperate with other countries to return foreign relics illegally imported into China, based on treaties or agreements. This marks the first time China has legally established a framework for cultural relic repatriation. The law aligns with international agreements such as the UNESCO 1970 Convention and the UNIDROIT Convention, and underscores China’s commitment to both recovering its own lost relics and returning illegally imported foreign artifacts. The law also clarifies that the State Council’s cultural relics department will be the lead authority on relic recovery, with support from other government bodies, such as the police and ministries of foreign affairs and justice. This formalizes a collaborative, multi-departmental approach to cultural relics recovery. Additionally, Article 81 asserts that China’s right to recover lost cultural relics is not subject to statutory time limits, overcoming a significant barrier in international law. This provision ensures that legal time constraints do not impede China’s efforts to recover cultural relics that were lost or stolen long ago.

British Archaeologists "do Outreach"

The object-centred "Friday Finds" gang are at it again.... " Anyone fancy having a stab at guessing the emperor on this coin recovered from a site in Kent for #FindsFriday?" 10:36 AM · Nov 1, 2024

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What, are you nuts? Its written there, no need to "guess". Why would you "find coins difficult"?

AOC Archaeology Group@aocarchaeology·Nov 6 it might be easy for us, but reading the run-on text and numismatic text conventions can be a fun brain teaser for others :)

But then it's not a "guess" is it? ("Anyone fancy having a stab at reading the name of the emperor on this coin"?) Again though this that nasty habit archaeologists have of playing the role of the gatekeeper with finds ("I'm clever enuff to read/know this, bet you can't, prole")

Why do British archaeologists not communicate archaeology and not applied numismatics etc? 

Yemen Signs UNIDROIT Convention to Combat Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Artifacts

                                Yemen's coveted artefacts                          

Karen K. Ho, 'Yemen Signs International Treaty Denouncing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Artifacts' Art News November 8, 2024

Yemen's Ambassador to UNESCO, Dr. Mohammed Jumeh, has signed the UNIDROIT Convention, a key international treaty aimed at curbing the illegal trade of cultural property. The treaty encourages buyers to exercise greater due diligence when acquiring cultural artifacts, addressing a major gap in the 1970 UNESCO Convention on illicit trafficking.

On October 7, Yemen officially acceded to the UNIDROIT Convention, along with the required declarations, signaling its commitment to tackling the illegal sale and purchase of stolen or illegally exported cultural objects. The treaty, which will come into effect for Yemen on April 1 of next year, establishes mechanisms for the protection, repatriation, and return of such items.

This move follows Yemen’s ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in June, which took effect on September 5, further strengthening Yemen’s legal framework for cultural heritage protection.

The ongoing current looting of cultural artifacts in Yemen is driven by the country's ongoing political instability and the severe humanitarian crisis caused by the protracted civil war. Widespread corruption, soaring fuel prices, and food insecurity have left large parts of the country vulnerable, while the overall economic collapse has further strained resources.

As a result, Yemen’s archaeological sites, ancient cities, and pre-Islamic artifacts have become prime targets for looters and unscrupulous art dealers. Local cultural institutions often lack the means to safeguard these heritage sites from organized theft, which fuels the international black market for trafficked antiquities. This situation complicates efforts to reclaim and return looted items, creating significant challenges in their repatriation.

Chinese Relics Protection Law Revision Debated Today

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Sun Langchen, 'Relics protection law revision to regulate artifacts banned from leaving China' Global Times: Nov 04, 2024.
The third draft amendment to the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics was submitted for review at the 12th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Nov 04, 2024 . The draft specifies that the State Council's cultural relics administrative department will determine and publish the specific range of cultural relics prohibited from leaving the country.

In an interesting development, the draft amendment emphasizes the important role of domestic private collection activities in the protection and utilization of cultural relics and in preserving and passing down traditional Chinese culture. It therefore includes provisions encouraging citizens and organizations to legally collect cultural relics, as well as strengthening the guidance, management, and services for private collection activities. The draft amendment insists that cultural relic collection units must fulfill their due diligence obligations and verify the legality of the sources for any cultural relics they intend to acquire or purchase.

Article 79 of the second draft amendment of the law also emphasizes strengthening international cooperation in the field of cultural relics retrieval and repatriation.

Arrest Warrant Issued in New York for Rome Dealer

An arrest warrant has been issued by the Manhattan district attorney’s office for Edoardo Almagià, a high profile Princeton-educated antiquities dealer (Colin Moynihan, 'Investigators Say a High-Profile Dealer Trafficked 2,000 Looted Artifacts', New York Times Oct. 31, 2024).  Prosecutors in Manhattan obtained an arrest warrant on Thursday for the dealer that had previously sold and donated prized artefacts to important museums and collectors. He is accused in court papers of trafficking thousands of illicit artefacts valued at tens of millions of dollars. Edoardo Almagià (now based in Rome), has been charged with conspiracy, taking part in a scheme to defraud and possessing stolen property owned by Italy. It is expected that an Interpol red notice will be issued (international arrest alert that would allow authorities around the world to detain Mr. Almagià) and extradict him to the US. Mr. Almagià denies wrongdoing and suggested that efforts targeting him were "the work of overzealous investigators". “They’ve criminalized and destroyed the antiquities market,” he said in an interview with Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Mr. Almagià fled the United States in 2006 after Homeland Security agents and an officer of the Italian police searched his Upper East Side apartment, according to the warrant. He surrendered six items and made arrangements to return a seventh, according to court papers, but then left the country, hiding some antiquities and documents in a storage facility and putting others in a shipping container bound for Naples. Tipped off by the informant, the Italian authorities later seized that container, recovering dozens of antiquities and thousands of documents, the prosecutors wrote.

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Investigators Say a High-Profile Dealer Trafficked 2,000 Looted Artefacts

In an arrest warrant for Edoardo Almagià the Manhattan district attorney’s office detailed what it described as decades of illicit transactions (Colin Moynihan, 'Investigators Say a High-Profile Dealer Trafficked 2,000 Looted Artifacts', New York Times Oct. 31, 2024). Prosecutors allege that the dealer(now based in Rome), had been involved in extensive illicit dealings, trafficking artefacts that included Roman sculptures and Etruscan pottery while living in Manhattan. According to investigators, Almagià kept meticulous records of his illegal transactions in a handwritten ledger, known as the "Green Book" that he kept hidden in an apartment beneath a marble statue. This ledger purportedly listed around 1,700 stolen items that he had acquired and then sold to collectors and institutions. A significant breakthrough in the case came when an informant discovered this ledger and attempted to copy it. Almagià allegedly intercepted the informant in the act, reacting with violence, unaware that numerous pages had already been duplicated and subsequently handed to law enforcement. These copies offered a detailed inventory of the items he had trafficked, shedding light on his long-standing operation. Almagia has reportedly been under investigation sincen 2018. Authorities have already seized 221 antiquities with a combined value of nearly $6 million, many of which had been displayed in prominent institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and Princeton University’s Art Museum. Investigators claim Almagià leveraged his association with a former curator at Princeton, to access high-profile collectors and curators, furthering his network. In 2010, an Italian inquiry of Almagià included Princeton’s then-curator for ancient art, Michael Padgett. He denied any wrongdoing at the time, and he went on to retire from the University more than a decade later. Though Padgett denies any wrongdoing, stating he was exonerated after an earlier investigation by Italian authorities, prosecutors contend that his reputation played a significant role in bolstering Almagià's access to prominent clients and institutions. Following a raid on his New York apartment in 2006, Almagià fled to Italy, leaving some items in a shipping container bound for Naples. Italian authorities, alerted by an informant, later seized this container, recovering further evidence and numerous artefacts, strengthening the prosecution’s case against him.

For further details, the article by Rachel Axon, 'Raider of the Lost Art' Princeton Alumni Weekly Sept. 12, 2023 is a well-researched and readable account.

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Men Armed with Metal Detectors Planned to 'Delete History' For Cash: Appeal Dismissed.

Two men jailed over trying clandestinely to dispose of items from a hoard of Viking treasure have failed in a bid to have their sentences reduced ( Paul Britton

'Armed with metal detectors, they planned to 'delete history'...' Manchester Evening News).

Two metal detectorists [...] who planned to 'delete history' by illegally selling Anglo-Saxon coins have had bids to reduce their sentences dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Roger Pilling, 76, and Craig Best, 48, were convicted of conspiring to sell 44 ninth-century coins worth £766,000 and jailed for five years and two months at Durham Crown Court in May, 2023.[...] The two men attempted to sell the coins [...] to someone they believed was a US buyer but who was in fact an undercover police officer. [...] Best, previously of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was arrested with three coins at a Durham hotel in May 2019 in a police sting operation. [...] Pilling was arrested at his home in Loveclough, Rossendale, Lancashire, with a further 41 coins seized.[...] The sentencing judge found that the 44 coins were part of a larger, undeclared find known as the Herefordshire or Leominster Hoard, which was discovered in 2015 and is worth millions of pounds, but which was also not declared.

OTD

 

65 years ago (29 October 1959) the first comic book about the adventures of Asterix was published.

Russia Deliberately Attacks UNESCO Site, Survived Nazis but Not Putin

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A Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv on Monday severely damaging the Derzhprom in Kharkiv, one of the world's most famous constructivist buildings and one of the most celebrated landmarks in Ukraine’s second city, dating from 1925-8 and under provisional enhanced UNESCO protection. Three people were killed in the 9pm strike, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Six people were injured, adding to 13 wounded in an earlier overnight bomb attack on the city. Rescuers are searching for other victims, including children, who may still be trapped under the rubble.

UK and Europe Purchasing Power Index

"The annual purchasing power index compiled by GfK, the largest market research company in Germany, looks at how much people have to spend on food, housing, services, energy costs, private pensions, insurance, holidays, mobility and consumer purchases after paying taxes.

Its report for 2024 found that the purchasing power of the average European was €18,768. There were, however, large disparities between countries, as well as between regions within many countries".

To what extent does this map predict the prevalence of antiquities collecting? Certainly I think the clhigher values for the UK, Austria, Germany and Switzerlasne would fit what we might suspect, but Norway for example?

Historic Coins Found by Metal Detectorists Acquired for Record £4.3m

Salma Ouaguira, 'Norman coin hoard becomes England’s most valuable treasure find after being sold for record-breaking sum', Independant 22.10.2024.

A group of metal detectorists uncovered an extraordinary hoard of 2,584 ancient coins in a Somerset field valued at £4.3million. The 11th-century coin trove, known as the Chew Valley Hoard, is now England’s most valuable treasure find, revealing new information about the historical transition following the Norman Conquest. The set includes pennies depicting William the Conqueror and Harold II, and a number of coins of William I issued after his coronation in 1066. Adam Staples, 48, discovered the coins in 2019 with his girlfriend at the time, Lisa Grace, and five friends, but had to wait for years to secure the payout.

So now, the tekkies have got their money and we will sit back and wait for the full report of the hoard (die links and all) to learn all that "new information about the historical transition following the Norman Conquest" (sic) it reveals, even though it was ripped out of ts context by the finders. This will be a monograph worth waiting for - telling about the beginning of the English nation, Eine Hervorragend Nationale Geschichte, as they say. As they were 'training' others, it would've been the perfect opportunity to teach them 'Hey, we have something big and likely important, let's re-bury, call for PAS to come running over the horizon to save the day (excavate and record the find)'. Din't happen, did it. Of course if ONLY there were a Code of Practice or two in England and Wales that say what should happen in such cases, just ... what, what's that, you say??? There is??? eh? But....

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