| When you live and work in Italy, you never quite | | | | allow the items to be identified, catalog, and displayed |
| know what you'll find. For one farmer outside of | | | | in the best manner. |
| Rome, what he found was hundreds of statues and | | | | The pieces range from 700 BC to 500 BC. Some of |
| pieces of pottery. Unfortunately for him, it's illegal to | | | | them appear to have originated in Greece, others |
| sell ancient art in Italy outside of the formal market, | | | | carry the classic style of the Etruscan artists who |
| so the farmer's attempts to cash in on his discovery | | | | lived in that area near Rome at that time. |
| have led to his arrest instead. | | | | Decorations on the pottery suggests it was |
| Under Italian law, ancient art belongs to the Italian | | | | dedicated to a goddess connected to the nearby |
| government as the representative of the Italian | | | | Lake Aprilia. In that era, water supply was crucial |
| people. This flaw exists to protect Italy's cultural | | | | because there were not yet any reliable methods of |
| heritage from collectors who would transport the | | | | storing massive amounts of water for later use. Gods |
| works to uncontrolled destinations. Similar laws exist | | | | were often associated with lakes. |
| in many countries, including the United States, where | | | | These 500 items may be worth hundreds of |
| it is generally illegal to destroy ancient Native | | | | thousands of dollars on the black market, but their |
| American sites for purposes of collecting. | | | | value to the Italian people is far higher. |
| The farmer came to the attention of the authorities | | | | For modern collectors of art, two lessons are critical: |
| when he turned up in the local grey market with | | | | first, make sure that any piece you are considering |
| over 500 items ranging from statues to vials of | | | | can legally be sold to you. Second, reproductions and |
| perfume. Since he had never been active in the | | | | fakes are everywhere. Even though they weren't a |
| market before, it raised suspicions that he had | | | | factor in this case, any market that offers huge |
| stumbled on an illicit source of goods. | | | | rewards to successful art forgers will attract people |
| Investigation resulted in his arrest. Now, | | | | who consider the collector their fair game. |
| archaeologists can do a proper excavation. That will | | | | |