NAPLES, Italy (AP) — In a remarkable unveiling, hundreds of once-missing artifacts have made their debut at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. This exhibition showcases the diligent efforts of a special police unit dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage, which has been hunting down these artifacts for decades. The museum's vaults house an impressive collection of 15,000 artifacts that have been seized or confiscated from the black market over the years, stemming from the rampant looting of sites of classical antiquity in southern Italy.
Locations like Pompeii and Herculaneum have been particular targets for treasure hunters. These raiders have employed a range of sophisticated equipment, including underwater metal detectors, GPS devices, sonar technology, and even drones to unearth treasures from shipwrecks and archaeological sites submerged in the Mediterranean Sea.
From its extensive repository, the museum has selected 600 pieces to be displayed for public viewing. Among the showcased items is a statue that had been sitting in an apartment building's courtyard since the early 20th century. This statue was stolen in the 1980s and was recovered in 2009. Additionally, artifacts from Pompeii were sold by a local farmer to a French archaeologist in the 1990s for the sum of 50,000 lire, which translates to approximately $28 today. The exhibition also features a diverse range of ancient ceramics, coins, bronzes, marbles, pottery, furnishings, weaponry, and armor, with dating ranging from the Archaic Period (approximately 650 to 480 BC) to the Middle Ages.
Massimo Osanna, the head of national museums at Italy's culture ministry and a key figure in curating the exhibition, commented, "It is a beautiful exhibition that tells a beautiful story, a story also of redemption for our stolen archaeological artifacts, which often find their way into private property or even international museums." He emphasized the collaborative efforts of the public prosecutor's office, the police, and the ministry, which have enabled these artifacts to return home and take their rightful place in history.
In a notable achievement for the police unit, over 100,000 artifacts were recovered in 2023, with their estimated total worth reaching an astounding 264 million euros (approximately $299 million). This ongoing effort underscores the commitment to preserving Italy's rich cultural heritage and restoring its historical artifacts to their rightful home.
