Looted antiquities, and museum plan

Updated: 2013-08-04 07:19

By Suzanne Daley(The New York Times)

  Print Mail Large Medium  Small

 Looted antiquities, and museum plan

A wall near the Spanish village of Aranda de Moncayo, where the authorities say ancient Celtic helmets were stolen. Samuel Aranda for The New York Times

ARANDA DE MONCAYO, Spain - The village of Aranda de Moncayo has been caught up in a bit of international intrigue after the arrest of a man who largely kept to himself but was sometimes seen out wandering at night with a metal detector.

Investigators who searched his homes found more than 4,000 looted antiquities, most of them, they say, dug up from the hill next door.

The police say his arrest is just the first salvo in an investigation that began when two bronze helmets appeared for sale at a German auction house.

Two thousand years ago, it seems, a bustling Celtic metropolis, called Aratikos, sat atop that hill, only to be destroyed by invading Romans.

The case has led Rosario Cabrera, the mayor of Aranda de Moncayo, to envision a new future for the 200 residents of the sleepy village. First, she wants a proper archaeological excavation. And then, perhaps, a small museum.

"It could bring a lot of tourists here," said Ms. Cabrera, who is fast becoming an expert on the Iberian Celts who settled in these parts and became targets of Roman aggression because the area was rich with copper, silver and iron.

Historians believe that the ancient city, about two hours north of Madrid, was burned to the ground.

Most villagers knew the area had a rich history, having found coins and bits of pottery over the years, but the exact site of the ancient city was always in question.

Experts say that at least 18 helmets have been illegally plundered from Aranda de Moncayo, far more than ever found before.

The authorities say they arrested Ricardo Granada, 60, in the case in March, and that he may have collected antiquities in the area for some 20 years.

Looted antiquities, and museum plan

Once, Ms. Cabrera said, Mr. Granada bought a plot of land at the foot of the hill. But he did not appear to know much about archaeological methods. He dug up the land using a backhoe and heaved loads of dirt onto the back of a truck, she said.

Experts at the Roman-Germanic Central Museum in Mainz spotted the helmets at an auction in 2008 and called the police to ask that they be held so Spain could claim them, said Michael Muller-Karpe, a researcher at the museum. The authorities did not act, and the helmets were given back to the auction house.

Experts at the Roman-Germanic Central Museum in Mainz who spotted the helmets at an auction in 2008 and called the police to ask that they be held so Spain could claim them, said Michael Muller-Karpe, a researcher at the museum. But the Spanish authorities did not act, and the helmets were eventually given back to the auction house for sale.

The handling of antiquities, experts say, is a bureaucratic tangle in Spain, with both the national government and regional governments having jurisdiction. The Culture Ministry referred questions to the regional government, which said it was reviewing the matter.

Now the mayor's idea of a museum appeals to some villagers.

"A lot of people are old here, and they just want peace and quiet," said Pilar Gonzalez, who runs a small restaurant and hotel on the village square with her husband. "But really a museum, anything, to bring people here would be so beneficial for us."

Rachel Chaundler contributed reporting.

The New York Times

(China Daily 08/04/2013 page12)

主站蜘蛛池模板: 一个色综合导航| 中文字幕日韩亚洲| 狠色狠色狠狠色综合久久| 国产在线国偷精品免费看| www.九色视频| 日本乱码视频a| 亚洲国产精品久久网午夜| 精品久久久久久无码人妻| 国产午夜无码精品免费看动漫| 88av在线播放| 少妇高潮太爽了在线观看| 久久精品青草社区| 香蕉免费在线视频| 欧美成人观看免费完全| 再深点灬舒服了灬太大| 麻豆果冻国产91在线极品| 国产网站在线播放| www.色噜噜| 把水管开水放b里是什么感觉| 亚洲AV无码乱码国产精品| 波多野结衣无内裤护士| 午夜亚洲国产精品福利| 野花视频www高清| 国产粉嫩粉嫩的18在线播放91| 99久久夜色精品国产网站| 性无码一区二区三区在线观看| 久久影院最新消息| 欧美又大粗又爽又黄大片视频 | 香蕉视频禁18| 国产精品无码一区二区三级| gogo少妇无码肉肉视频| 成人精品视频一区二区三区尤物 | 国内精品久久久久久影院| √天堂中文在线最新版8下载| 日日碰狠狠添天天爽不卡| 么公的又大又深又硬又爽视频| 欧美日韩精品福利在线观看| 人妻巨大乳hd免费看| 精品免费国产一区二区三区 | 亚洲入口无毒网址你懂的| 法国性XXXXX极品|