Roundup: Italy's latest seizure sheds new light on stolen antiquities

Italian authorities impounded more than 5,000 ancient artifacts earlier this week, in a seizure that calls for new attention to the old problem of trafficking of illegally obtained art and archeological treasures.

Antiquities-trafficking dates back to the beginning of the recorded history, when the spoils of military victories were sent back to the conqueror's homeland. Rome, for example, is peppered with obelisks taken from Egypt and now built into Renaissance-era statues and monuments.

But in modern times, the practice is illegal, and there are special agencies and specially trained law enforcement officers focusing on curbing illegal trade in antiquities.

This week's seizure by Italian police, which included items from the eighth century B.C. to the third century, is evidence that more needs to be done.

The trove of Roman and Greek statues, amphorae, vases and frescos is reported to have originated from southern Italy -- mostly from Calabria and Puglia as well as the island regions of Sicily and Sardinia. They were stored in warehouses in the Swiss city of Basel, with some already labeled to be sold to collectors in the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Japan.

Swiss and Italian police arrested Sicilian art dealer Gian Franco Becchina and his wife in connection with the case. Authorities estimate the entire haul to be worth at least 50 million euros (57 million U.S. dollars).

"This is by far the biggest recovery of artifacts in history, both in terms of the quantity and the quality of the archeological treasures found," Mariano Mossa, a spokesman for the Carabinieri police, told local reporters.

Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the artifacts would be returned to the areas near where they were unearthed and displayed in local museums. But La Rocca, a Roman and Greek art expert with La Sapienza University in Rome, said that may not be easy.

"One of the problems with a crime like this is that it removes a specific piece from its larger context," La Rocca said. "It's taken from a tomb or catacomb, and that context helps us understand more about the piece. But in a case like this one, that information will be lost in many of these cases."

La Rocca and others called for stronger steps to safeguard Italy's national treasures. But with the cash-strapped Italian government already unable to pay for adequate upkeep of archeological sites, stricter controls are impossible.

The vast number of important archeological sites in Italy and the open borders guaranteed by the European Union also make it more difficult to monitor the illegal collection and trade of such artifacts.

Italy is a party to the 1995 Unidroit Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, which La Rocca and others said helped pave the way for countries to petition for the return of the artifacts to their home. But finding the stolen items remains a big challenge.

"Police certainly can't stop and search people at the border," La Rocca said. "They have to reply on other channels, including tips and information gathering. That is how police found out about the case in Switzerland." Endi