Erotic mosaic, stolen by German officer in World War II, returned to Pompeii
Featuring a man reclining on a couch being attended to by a scantily clad woman, the small mosaic may have decorated a bedroom floor in a Roman villa, the Pompeii Archaeological Park said in a statement.
When Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, its buildings, thousands of inhabitants and this mosaic were buried beneath layers of ash and pumice.
This coating perfectly preserved the city for more than 1,600 years, making it one of the most important archaeological sites in the world as it offers an unprecedented insight into Roman daily life.
For example, despite dating from between the late 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, this mosaic is still brightly colored, with all its tiles still intact.
By World War II, many areas of Pompeii had already been uncovered. This mosaic was stolen by a Wehrmacht captain who oversaw Germany's military supply chain in Italy during the war, the archaeological park said.
He gave it to an unnamed German citizen whose heirs contacted the Italian police, asking how they could return it, the park added.
A specialist unit of Italy's police, responsible for protecting the country's cultural heritage, then investigated the mosaic's provenance, tentatively tracing it back to the area destroyed by Mount Vesuvius, although certain information about its discovery was missing.
'Every looted artifact that returns is a wound that heals, so we express our gratitude to the Protection Unit for their work. The wound lies not so much in the material value of the work, but in its historical value; a value that is severely compromised by the illicit trafficking of antiquities,' Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said in a statement.
'We don't know the artifact's exact provenance and likely never will,' he said, adding that the park will conduct further tests to piece together the mosaic's history as much as possible.
The mosaic will be temporarily displayed at a museum in Pompeii for public viewing.
Erotic art has been discovered in Pompeii before. Archaeologists uncovered a tiny house filled with elaborate — and sometimes racy — frescoes in October 2024; another house covered in raunchy frescoes reopened to the public in January 2023 after being closed for 20 years; while another fresco, depicting an erotic scene from the Greek myth of Leda and the swan, was uncovered in 2018.
CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau contributed reporting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Loro Piana Placed Under Judicial Oversight Due to Alleged Worker Exploitation
MILAN — A Milan Court has put Loro Piana into a judicial administration procedure concerning alleged worker exploitation in the Italian luxury brand's supply chain. Loro Piana in a statement on Monday evening said it 'acknowledges the notification received from the Court of Milan's Preventive Measure Section today regarding labor practices by undisclosed and unauthorized subcontractors of one of its suppliers.'The Italian luxury company stated that 'in breach of its legal and contractual obligations, the supplier did not inform Loro Piana of the existence of these subcontractors. Loro Piana was made aware of this situation on May 20, and, as a result, the maison terminated all relations with the concerned supplier in less than 24 hours.' Furthermore, 'Loro Piana firmly condemns any illegal practices and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to upholding human rights and compliance with all applicable regulations throughout its supply chain. Loro Piana is committed to ensuring that all its suppliers comply with the maison's highest quality and ethical standards in line with its Code of Conduct. In this perspective, Loro Piana has been constantly reviewing and will continue to strengthen its control and audit activities.'According to media reports, Loro Piana sells cashmere jackets with a price tag of 3,000 euros, which, through its subcontractors, would allegedly actually cost only 100 euros. The firm denied this claim. 'The reported cost figures are not representative of the amounts paid by Loro Piana to its supplier, nor do they consider the full value of all the elements, including, among others, raw materials and fabrics.'Looking ahead, Loro Piana concluded by stating that it 'expresses its full willingness to cooperate with the relevant authorities on this matter and intends to provide the utmost support for any further investigations.' More from WWD Rihanna's Son Riot Completes Dior Look With Edgy Dr. Martens Oxfords at 'Smurfs' Premiere Rihanna Makes 'Smurfs' Premiere a Fashionable Family Affair in Saint Laurent, With Sons RZA and Riot in Dior Louis Vuitton Notifies U.K. Customers of Data Breach Loro Piana is controlled by the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and is helmed by chief executive officer Frédéric Arnault, who succeeded Damian Bertrand last month. Bertrand is now chairman of the brand and has moved to become deputy CEO of Louis is only the latest luxury brand to incur in such a probe. Dior, also part of LVMH, and the Giorgio Armani Group have also been investigated for allegedly using suppliers who subjected workers to poor conditions, including inadequate wages, and potentially misleading consumers about their commitment to ethical standards, labor practices and artisanal production. Both brands have seen the judicial administration procedures lifted after taking steps to improve their supply chain and labor practices. In February, a Milan court ordered the revocation of the judicial administration imposed since April last year on Giorgio Armani Operations, a unit of the namesake designer's fashion group, over the labor practices of its Chinese-owned subcontractors. At the time, the Armani Group said in a statement that the decision to revoke the judicial administration was made because the company has taken all the necessary corrective action and 'already had a structured and tested system of controls and protection of its supply chain.' The revocation came ahead of the one-year deadline initially expected, it pointed out. The statement underscored that the decision was also made because the court recognized the group's craftsmanship as Armani's suppliers 'are often to be identified as highly qualified artisans, especially regarding Italian production, characterized by the highest level of sophistication and quality.' Last year, judges also placed an Italian subsidiary of Dior, which produced handbags for the French brand, under the same form of special administration, again for lack of control over its supply chain. In May, the French fashion house was cleared of any wrongdoing and said it remains 'committed to upholding our values of transparency and respect throughout our supply chain. This further underscores the maison's steadfast and historic dedication to pursuing both rigorous Made in Italy products and the highest standards of ethics and excellence.' Alviero Martini was also investigated over alleged worker exploitation, and in May, a unit of Valentino specialized in bags was placed under judicial administration for a year by the Milan court after worker abuse was uncovered at subcontractors. Following the move, Valentino said it had intensified its supplier evaluation process across its supply chain in recent years and would cooperate with the relevant authorities to 'fully understand the circumstances that have led to the measures taken by the judiciary in this specific case.' Best of WWD The Biggest Legal Battles Shaping the Fashion Industry Today PETA Asks Lululemon About Slaughterhouse Practices China's Livestreaming Star Viya Fined $210 Million for Tax Evasion Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse
Keira Walsh has called for more protection against online abuse after her England team-mate Jess Carter was the target of racist vitriol on social media at Euro 2025. Carter announced she would be stepping away from the platforms for the remainder of the tournament ahead of England's dramatic 2-1 semi-final comeback against Italy to set up Sunday's final showdown with Spain. Walsh came off social media after the 2019 World Cup, when reading negative comments contributed to the midfielder genuinely entertaining the thought of quitting football. 'I think it's just a personal preference,' said Walsh, who did return to the networks, but has – bar a single post – been inactive on X since 2020. Lately, her Instagram account has solely been comprised of tagged posts by the Lionesses, or her respective current and former clubs Chelsea and Barcelona. 'I haven't had social media for the best part of four or five months, and I feel a lot better most of the time,' said Walsh. 'I don't really know what's going on outside of camp. I think at the time, with what's going on, probably more people have come off it, but I can only speak for myself. 'I think obviously the girls are smart enough to know what they should and shouldn't be looking at, and I'm sure they'll know what is going to put them in a good headspace and what isn't. 'Do I think there's enough protection on social media? No, I don't, but I'm not going to be able to change that. That's not up to me, but I think just in general, people can be more protected on social media, and I think we can do more to stop that from happening.' England defender Lucy Bronze has warned companies that athletes can 'thrive' without their services, but the reality remains that in the women's game – where new Arsenal recruit Olivia Smith just became the first £1 million player – brand-building on social media can be a lucrative tool for players earning nowhere near their male equivalents. Carter's case has now been referred to UK police, and, in a statement released Sunday, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham vowed his organisation will 'ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice'. One feature of the Online Safety Act, which received royal assent in October 2023, places a greater onus on social media companies to protect users from illegal content. Companies can be fined up to £18 million, or 10 per cent of their global revenue, if they fail to comply with their duties, but Ofcom – which is implementing the act in a phased approach – has only been able to enforce against the Illegal Harms Codes since March 17, 2025. 'I think we would have liked it to have been stronger in some cases,' said Bullingham. 'There's a real risk that if we're not firm in how the act is implemented, it won't be as strong as we hope. 'I think now it's incumbent on Ofcom to make sure they really do bring those responsible for running social media platforms to account and I haven't seen huge progress in the last couple of years. We would like to see it now.' Foreign social media companies operating within the UK are still beholden to the act, but prosecuting individuals living outside the country responsible for abusive content – which is not uncommon – remains a huge hinderance to justice. Bullingham added: 'If you look at the prosecution, obviously we can only work with the UK police, generally. There are, when we work with some of the companies that support us, there are occasions where you can prosecute outside the UK, but it's really hard and generally really expensive.' The FA chief said his organisation has engaged in productive conversations with FIFA and UEFA, encouraging them to put pressure on social media companies to prevent harmful content from appearing in the first place. He added: 'But where there are occasions, make sure we can prosecute. And we do think that people who perpetrate these hate crimes should be prosecuted wherever they are in the world.'
New York Post
21 hours ago
- New York Post
OF COURSE ‘restorative justice' in schools doesn't work — and now the proof is in
Surprise, surprise: School 'meditation rooms' and 'harm-reduction circles,' a new study shows, don't cure juvenile delinquents but instead undermine teachers' authority and lead to more chaotic classrooms. Gee, who would've thunk it? Actually, the study — by the Manhattan Institute — confirms what we've long known about then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's push for 'restorative justice' in the name of racial equity: It was always doomed to fail. Restorative justice calls for schools to provide students and staff the opportunity to talk through conflicts instead of punishing kids with meaningful measures like suspensions. Yet the data shows that, despite an outlay of $100 million since it became the prevailing practice, incidents requiring the NYPD's school safety division more than doubled — from 1,200 in the first quarter of 2016 to 4,120 in the first quarter of 2025. The report also found that putting troubled students in 'meditation rooms' instead of suspending or kicking them out of class doesn't solve any problems, as violent incidents continued to rise and absenteeism jumped 35%. The study cites several instances of students not being punished or held accountable for deplorable behavior and violent acts. Though students at Origins High School who had subjected a Jewish teacher to Nazi salutes and threats were sent to a 'meditation room,' the harassment did not stop. This spring, an 8-year-old stabbed a staff member with a pencil and threatened classmates at Staten Island's PS 8. Parents derided the school's response — a meditation room and calls home — as entirely inadequate. A Center for Court Innovation in Brooklyn found no statistically significant benefits in schools that implemented restorative-justice practices compared to those that used a traditional disciplinary approach. The Department of Education claims suspensions have plummeted 48% over the past 10 years, resulting in 'keeping more children in class and engaged.' Duh: If your policy is to suspend fewer kids, as restorative-justice calls for, it's no shock that fewer kids get suspended. Even Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos admits the approach isn't cutting it: 'The work is far from done,' she conceded Wednesday. Yet she vowed, 'It's not leaving New York City public schools.' That's unforgivable: The study's bottom line clearly found restorative justice fuels disorder, a lack of accountability and possibly an increase in chronic absenteeism. The disruptions that prevent well-behaved kids from learning alone should be enough to ditch this policy, not to mention the violence and absenteeism that comes from it. Mayor Eric Adams, as a former cop, should know that kids who don't pay meaningful consequences for misbehavior will simply continue misbehaving. Some good news: An April 2025 executive order from Donald Trump puts the kibosh on using race as a factor in discipline, which may help push schools to return to traditional responses to misconduct and a restoration of order in classrooms. But until New York City's policy changes, the chaos will continue — and learning will suffer.
