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Italys' Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Squad Foiled Tomb-Raiders

The force recently uncovered a clandestine dig in the middle of Naples

The Guardian 2 JAN 2025

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Looking towards the semicircular apse with a frescoed image of a partially identifiable Christ on a throne staring back at them, the archaeologists crouching in the small space deep beneath a residential building in Naples were left speechless. They were amid the remains of an 11th-century church.

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Greek vases and other artefacts were recovered by the Carabinieri cultural heritage protection squad inside a clandestine archaeological site in the centre of Naples.

The archaeologists, however, could not take the credit: the historic jewel, which had just been seized by police, was dug up by tombaroli, or tomb-raiders, illicit gangs who for decades have been plundering Italian cultural sites, in turn fuelling the global market for stolen art and antiquities.

Investigators believe the groups leader was a local entrepreneur, currently under investigation, who owns two apartments in the building above. His cellar was turned into a well-organised excavation site, from where the tomb-raiders dug a warren of tunnels leading them about 8 metres down into ancient Naples, where they unearthed medieval art from under the heart of the southern Italian city.

But impressive though their workmanship was ? they even installed concrete pillars to prevent the structure from collapsing ? officers from the Naples unit of Italys Carabinieri cultural heritage protection squadunmasked the gang and confiscated the church after a covert investigation.

The force also recovered 10,000 fragments of Roman and medieval pottery from alleged gangmasters? homes and 453 intact artefacts, including vases, terracotta lamps and coins. Experts are assessing whether the relics came from the church or other plundered sites.

So-called tomb-raiders are a key part of the illicit trade in antiquities, with their loot usually smuggled overseas to traffickers. The gangs commonly work by marking out clandestine excavation spots close to known archaeological sites, which in the Campania region surrounding Naples can include Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum or areas where there were Roman settlements.

So uncovering a clandestine dig in the middle of the city took the specialist squad by surprise.

When you think of Pompeii, for example, you know a dig can lead to a wealthy domus where prestigious objects can be found, says Massimo Esposito, the chief of the squads unit in Naples. But its rare to find one in the heart of Naples.

The groups alleged leader is believed to have had an inkling that there might be something beneath his home when construction works nearby on the citys metro were interrupted and the site cordoned off after a small part of the remains of another, albeit less historically interesting, church emerged.

The group worked for several months, carrying out their noisiest activity during the day, but not loud enough to attract complaints from the buildings residents.

Little did the gang know that their comings and goings were being observed by Espositos team, with the squad staking out the building and wiretapping its alleged leaders phone.

Suspicions were especially aroused after seeing him carrying boxes filled with materials.

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Massimo Esposito, commander of the Carabinieri cultural heritage protection team of Naples.

This is always the ultimate goal, says Esposito. Italy is an open-air museum, so rich in cultural heritage. This makes our job very arduous, but we are also driven by a passion to ensure that Italys property is returned.

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