[MSN] Italy recovers hundreds of artifacts

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Italy recovers hundreds of artifacts
Associated Press

ROME - Italian police said Thursday they have recovered about 300 ancient artifacts and thousands of fragments believed to have been illegally excavated in central Italy.

Six people were under investigation on possible charges that included trafficking of antiquities, but nobody has been arrested, Rome Carabinieri police said.

The items recovered include vases, jars and cups. Among the most precious objects was an 11-inch Greek vase dating to 600 B.C.-580 B.C. and featuring black figures. Some of the items were sold at the Porta Portese flea market, held every Sunday in Rome.

Col. Ferdinando Musella, an official with Italian anti-art theft police, said that tomb raiders often break vases and amphorae so they can sell single pieces and then ask for a higher price for the missing piece that would complete the artifact.

Italy is aggressively fighting the pillage of its archaeological and artistic treasures. Its campaign also includes seeking the return of several antiquities it claims were obtained illegally by museums.

http://www.timesleader.com