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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ATHAR Project and the Artifact War’

Readers of past posts on ths blog may know that as a result of my own research and thoughts, I have a moderately sceptical approach to some of the elements of this story, but this is certainly worth getting to know:

ATHAR Project @ATHARProject Oct 24, 2024

SOON: ‘Artifact War’ world premiere and best feature doc nominee at the @austinfilmfest. The film follows the work of Amr Al-Azm, Adnan Almohamad, and Katie A. Paul as they track trafficked Syrian antiquities from war zone looting sites to social media sites.

"An archaeology professor and his students go undercover to stop ISIS from trafficking Syrian antiquities, only to uncover a web of terror, corporate corruption, and the sale of illegal artifacts in the most shocking places".

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Posted on You Tube by Mystery Box Films 24.10.2024.

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Detectorist Hails ‘Lottery’ Payout Five Years After Finding The Chew Valley Hoard

Detectorist hails ‘lottery’ payout five years after finding ancient coins

A metal detectorist who found £4.3 million worth of ancient coins has spoken of his frustration that it took five years to receive a penny. Adam Staples, 48, discovered 2,584 coins depicting William the Conqueror and Harold II in Somerset in 2019 with his girlfriend at the time, Lisa Grace, and five friends. [...] Mr Staples, an auctioneer from Derby, said: “It’s like winning the lottery but then you can’t cash the ticket for five years.[...] Half of the money will go to the landowner, and the rest has been split between Mr Stables, Ms Grace and the friends they were training to use their metal detectors on the weekend trip, meaning they got around £300,000 each.

I can just imagine all those people wishing to get involved with historical/archaeological research to have a tax free lump sum in order to live mortgage free, after reading this . In fact, if you think about it, there is a higher chance of getting rich in the UK by buying a metal detector and going out into a field than by taking part in the National Lottery. But they are "not in it fer th' munny, jus' th' 'istry, M8".

Lebanon: Amid Humanitarian Crisis, Cultural Property Endangered by Israeli Strikes [Updated]

                        (Source BBC)                      

In Lebanon, following the end of the 2006 war, relative calm prevailed despite repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement by both sides. Israel conducted near-daily overflights of Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah failed to disarm. Tensions reignited in April 2023, leading to increased violence.

The ongoing Israel–Hamas war and daily attacks on Gaza have triggered a renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. On October 8, 2023 - one day after Hamas launched an infamous large-scale attack on Israel, Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas. Since then, exchanges of fire, including airstrikes and shelling, have escalated.

The conflict intensified at the end of September this year, when Israel launched an aerial bombing campaign across Lebanon. On September 30, Israel initiated a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah fighters and weapons capabilities near the border. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described the operation as “limited, localized, and targeted,” focusing on villages close to the border that posed immediate threats to northern Israeli communities. Shelling intensified in border areas, including Marjayoun, Wazzani, and Khiam, accompanied by a heavy presence of Israeli aircraft over southern Lebanon. Notably, a reported airstrike on the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon (the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon), resulted in multiple casualties.

The ongoing conflict has so far caused over 3,700 deaths in Lebanon and displaced more than 1.2 million people, approximately one-fifth of the population, according to the United Nations. Beyond the tragic loss of life and displacement of families, communities are facing severe destabilisation.

In addition to the current humanitarian crisis,Lebanon's already vulnerable cultural heritage faces increasing threats. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has issued a statement highlighting the risks to Lebanon’s cultural heritage. 

Israeli attacks have struck areas near significant ancient sites, including an airstrike close to the ancient citadel of Baalbek, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to Lebanese officials, the strike landed approximately 500 to 700 metres from the site. The cities of Saida and Sour, home to invaluable heritage sites, are also under heavy bombardment, receiving insufficient media attention. Other endangered heritage sites include Anjar, Byblos, and Wadi Qadisha, alongside the historic souks of Nabatieh. On October 13, the Ottoman mosque in Kfar Tebnit, Nabatieh, was reportedly destroyed by an airstrike. These losses underscore the urgent need for international action to protect Lebanon’s cultural legacy amid the ongoing conflict.

Currently, no comprehensive data exists on the extent of damage to archaeological sites or heritage buildings in the south, as the country continues to face intense bombardment. A local informant described the situation, stating that the bombings are carried out by forces showing "no respect for treaties, agreements, or human rights, indifferent to classified archaeological sites and human life”. Lebanese writer and political commentator Ghassan Jawad has accused Israel of "not just just fighting Hezbollah. It intentionally seeks to eradicate Lebanon's rich cultural heritage and collective history, aiming to raise the Lebanese cost of supporting the resistance and reshape the state's political and demographic fabric".

UNESCO has been called upon to alert the United Nations and its Security Council to demand that Israel adhere to international laws protecting cultural heritage.

Update: Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire on 26 November 2024 after some 60 days' military action. 

References

BBC, 'What is Hezbollah and why is Israel attacking Lebanon?' 1 October 2024

Chao-Fong, Léonie; Belam, Martin; Gecsoyler, Sammy; Yerushalmy, Jonathan "Middle East crisis live: Israel launches small raids across border amid reports Lebanese army is pulling back". The Guardian 30 September 2024

Dalal Harb and Houssam Hariri, 'Displaced families in Lebanon yearn for peace and a return home', UNHCR 6 October 2024 .

Lucy Williamsonn 'Inside Israel's combat zone in southern Lebanon' BBC News 12 October 2024

ABNA24, 'Video / Photos: Historic Ottoman mosque of Kfar Tebnit completely destroyed in Israeli airstrike in Nabatieh'. Abna World Service 13 October 2024.

Ghassan Jawad, 'Israel's war on Lebanon’s history and heritage' The Cradle NOV 6, 2024 ,

Series 2 of Hancock’s Ancient Apocalypse.

Catherine Bennett, 'Any ice-age telepaths out there? Please explain why Netflix is revisiting Ancient Apocalypse', Guardian Sun 29 Sep 2024

Admittedly the rise of anti-science discourse has helped normalise, if not his theories, Hancock’s bizarre claims to special – even suppressed? – insights. Contributing to this trend, the programme makers show him as a quest-driven, misunderstood seer; the rejection of his speculation, once thought fairly appropriate, is presented as an attraction. No opportunity was lost in the first series of Ancient Apocalypse to denigrate dissenting archaeologists for disputing the existence of ancient Hancockia. “Perhaps,” he said in programme one, “there’s been a forgotten episode in human history, but perhaps the extremely arrogant and patronising attitude of mainstream academia is stopping us from considering that possibility.”

Chat GPT and Irresponsible Artefact Hunters.

 
Curious, I idly asked Chat GPT: "what is the worst (but still realistic) British metal detecting story you can invent?" Here's the result. Count the stereotypes and hyperbole (and then work out what part PAS played in the compilation of this narrative)

The Tale of the Unearthed Treasure

It’s a crisp autumn morning when a metal detectorist, let’s call him Dave, heads out to an isolated field in the English countryside. This field, unbeknownst to him, sits on top of what had once been a significant Roman settlement—an area that is classified as an Area of Archaeological Interest but has no formal protection due to its remote location. Dave doesn’t know this, though; he’s just out for a bit of treasure hunting, using his top-of-the-line detector in the hopes of finding a few coins, or maybe something more valuable.

As the day goes on, Dave’s luck turns: his detector starts to beep steadily over what seems like a large metal object. He digs down, anticipating something simple like an old buckle or a tin can, but what he uncovers is far more exciting—a beautiful, ornate Roman brooch, almost perfectly preserved, along with a few silver denarii coins scattered nearby.

Excited, Dave doesn’t stop there. He digs deeper, finding more artifacts, pieces of Roman pottery, fragments of decorative items, and eventually, an entire buried Roman chest. The chest is filled with hundreds of coins, some of which are extremely rare. The rush of adrenaline overrides any rational thought. Instead of reporting his find to the local archaeological authorities as required by law, Dave decides to keep it a secret. He’s thinking of cashing in on the loot, selling the coins on the black market, or to collectors who would pay a premium for rare items, far above their value in museums or academic circles.

He packs everything up, but in the process, damages several of the items—scratching delicate pottery shards, cracking the brooch in his haste. The chest itself is dragged out of the ground, causing even more structural damage to the surrounding soil and the objects inside. This causes irreplaceable contextual evidence—like the arrangement of the coins or any inscriptions—to be lost forever.

Then comes the worst part: Dave, thinking he's in the clear, doesn’t stop at the one chest. He starts scanning further around the site, uncovering more pieces, including what looks like part of a Roman tomb. Fragments of bone, pottery, and some delicate burial objects are also disturbed as he continues to dig, oblivious to their historical significance. The objects are left exposed to the elements, deteriorating from the lack of professional care, while Dave hastily packs up the relics he thinks are worth money.

In the coming weeks, he tries to sell a few of the Roman coins through an anonymous online auction site. However, one of the items gets traced back to him, and a sharp-eyed archaeologist notices the peculiar wear patterns and recognizes the provenance of the objects. The authorities are notified, and a full investigation begins.

When the site is finally excavated properly by professionals, it’s clear just how much damage has been done. The field had been home to a well-preserved Roman settlement, with multiple burial sites and valuable artifacts left in situ. Dave’s hasty and unauthorized digging has irreversibly altered the context of the site, and much of the archaeological evidence that would have told us about the life and death of people from that era is gone. The chest of coins, for example, had been buried with specific artifacts in a ceremonial or ritual context, but now it’s all just a random collection of items, stripped of its historical meaning. The destruction of the burial area means that we can never know exactly how that community lived or died—knowledge that could have been critical for understanding Roman Britain.

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The Consequences:

1. Loss of Context: The single most damaging aspect of the find is that Dave disturbed the context of the artifacts. In archaeology, where something is found is just as important as what is found. By removing these objects without documenting their positions, Dave robbed archaeologists of the chance to study the broader site as a whole.

2. Damage to Objects: The haste and lack of proper tools meant that items were damaged beyond repair. This includes a rare Roman brooch that could have been a key piece for studying trade routes or fashion trends, but now it’s simply a ruined fragment.

3. The Tomb Disturbance: By uncovering and damaging part of a Roman burial, Dave potentially destroyed evidence that could have given us insights into Roman burial customs, social status, or even health. The human remains and associated items were likely beyond saving once exposed to the elements.

4. Legal Trouble: Dave's failure to report the discovery and his attempts to profit from it will bring severe legal consequences. Under the UK's Treasure Act 1996, failing to report a find of archaeological or historical importance is a criminal offence. He faces heavy fines, possible imprisonment, and certainly a lifetime of banishment from metal detecting.

5. Ethical Breakdown: Perhaps the most damning aspect is the complete disregard for the ethical responsibility that comes with metal detecting. While there are many responsible detectorists who report finds and work with archaeologists, Dave’s story shows the potential for destruction when the temptation of personal gain overrides the need to protect heritage.

Interestingly, I did not ask it to make the list of consequences, it seems ChatGPT takes a dim view of irresponsible detecting. I also wonder where that bit about the "cracked brooch" came from  - there is a post on this blog that talks about such a thing from a case I discuss. 

For the record, I asked the same thing about a story about a british archaeologist, but the story was extremely long, not very plausible but equally stereotypical and revealed that ChatGPT does not have access to materiial on how archaeology actually works.