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BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Somerset archaeological dig unearths 3,000-year-old items
A community group has found items dating back 3,000 years during an archaeological Quantock Heritage Group has been holding digs in the village of North Petherton, Somerset, with the help of local the most recent dig at the weekend they found items from the Roman era and Bronze Age, including pottery and a utensil that was likely used for Jones, from the Quantock Heritage Group, said: "These are pieces of pot that were thrown away. We're the first people in all that time to pick up that tiny little piece of pot that they never thought would be around in 3,000 years' time." Paul Revill, who lives in North Petherton and volunteered at the dig, said: "I found odd bits of clay pipe and a little bit of blue and white pottery."Growing up, it's always been an interest. This is the first time I was involved in any archaeology."I'll definitely be back. I'm on to my garden next, I will have a hole or two put in."The next group dig is set to take place in August or September, Mr Jones added.
Arab News
16-07-2025
- General
- Arab News
Roman-era mosaic panel with erotic theme that was stolen during World War II returns to Pompeii
POMPEII: A mosaic panel on travertine slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological park of Pompeii on Tuesday, after being stolen by a Nazi German captain during World War II. The artwork was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels, arranged by the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart, Germany, after having been returned from the heirs of the last owner, a deceased German citizen. The owner had received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain, assigned to the military supply chain in Italy during the war. The mosaic — dating between mid- to last century B.C. and the first century — is considered a work of 'extraordinary cultural interest,' experts said. 'It is the moment when the theme of domestic love becomes an artistic subject,' said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and co-author of an essay dedicated to the returned work. 'While the Hellenistic period, from the fourth to the first century B.C., exulted the passion of mythological and heroic figures, now we see a new theme.' The heirs of the mosaic's last owner in Germany contacted the Carabinieri unit in Rome that's dedicated to protecting cultural heritage, which was in charge of the investigation, asking for information on how to return the mosaic to the Italian state. Authorities carried out the necessary checks to establish its authenticity and provenance, and then worked to repatriate the mosaic in September 2023. The collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii was also key, as it made it possible to trace it to near the Mount Vesuvius volcano, despite the scarcity of data on the original context of its discovery, the Carabinieri said. The panel was then assigned to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii where, suitably catalogued, it will be protected and available for educational and research purposes. 'Today's return is like healing an open wound,' Zuchtriegel said, adding that the mosaic allows to reconstruct the story of that period, the first century A.D., before Pompeii was destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption in A.D. 79. The park's director also highlighted how the return by the heirs of its owner signals an important change in 'mentality,' as 'the sense of possession (of stolen art) becomes a heavy burden.' 'We see that often in the many letters we receive from people who may have stolen just a stone, to bring home a piece of Pompeii,' Zuchtriegel said. He recalled the so-called 'Pompeii curse,' which according to a popular superstition hits whoever steals artifacts in Pompeii. The world-known legend suggests that those who steal finds from the ancient city of Pompeii will experience bad luck or misfortune. That has been fueled over the years by several tourists who return stolen items, claiming they brought them bad luck and caused tragic events.
ABC News
15-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Roman-era mosaic panel stolen by Nazis during World War II returns to Pompeii
A mosaic panel on travertine slabs depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era has been returned to the archaeological park of Pompeii, after being stolen by a Nazi German captain during World War II. The artwork was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels, arranged by the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart, Germany, after having been returned from the heirs of the last owner, a dead German citizen. The owner had received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain assigned to the military supply chain in Italy during the war. The mosaic — dating between the mid- to last century BC and the first century — is considered a work of "extraordinary cultural interest". "It is the moment when the theme of domestic love becomes an artistic subject," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and co-author of an essay dedicated to the returned work. "While the Hellenistic period, from the 4th to the first century BC, exulted the passion of mythological and heroic figures, now we see a new theme." The heirs of the mosaic's last owner in Germany contacted the Carabinieri unit in Rome dedicated to protecting cultural heritage, which was in charge of the investigation, asking for information on how to return the mosaic to the Italian state. Authorities carried out the necessary checks to establish its authenticity and provenance, and then worked to repatriate the mosaic in September 2023. The collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii was also key, as it made it possible to trace it to near the Mount Vesuvius volcano, despite the scarcity of data on the original context of its discovery, the Carabinieri said. The panel was then assigned to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, where it will be protected and available for educational and research purposes. "Today's return is like healing an open wound," Mr Zuchtriegel said, adding that the mosaic would help historians reconstruct the story of that period, before Pompeii was destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption in AD 79. The park's director also highlighted how the artworks' return signalled an important change in "mentality" as "the sense of possession [of stolen art] becomes a heavy burden." "We see that often in the many letters we receive from people who may have stolen just a stone, to bring home a piece of Pompeii," Mr Zuchtriegel added. He recalled the so-called "Pompeii curse", which according to a popular superstition hits whoever steals artefacts in Pompeii. The legend suggests that those who steal finds from the ancient city of Pompeii will experience bad luck or misfortune. It has been fuelled over the years by several tourists who return stolen items, claiming they brought them bad luck and caused tragic events. AP
CBS News
15-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Erotic ancient mosaic stolen by Nazi German captain during WWII is returned to Pompeii
A mosaic panel on travertine slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological park of Pompeii on Tuesday, after being stolen by a Nazi German captain during World War II. The mosaic depicts a pair of lovers in a state of undress. A male figure is lounging on a bed or couch, while a female figure is standing, facing away from the viewer. The artwork was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels, arranged by the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart, Germany, after having been returned from the heirs of the last owner, a deceased German citizen. The owner had received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain, assigned to the military supply chain in Italy during the war. The mosaic — dating between mid- to last century B.C. and the first century — is considered a work of "extraordinary cultural interest," experts said. It may have decorated the floor of a bedroom, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii said in a news release. "It is the moment when the theme of domestic love becomes an artistic subject," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and co-author of an essay dedicated to the returned work. "While the Hellenistic period, from the fourth to the first century B.C., exulted the passion of mythological and heroic figures, now we see a new theme." The heirs of the mosaic's last owner in Germany contacted the Carabinieri unit in Rome that's dedicated to protecting cultural heritage, which was in charge of the investigation, asking for information on how to return the mosaic to the Italian state. Authorities carried out the necessary checks to establish its authenticity and provenance, and then worked to repatriate the mosaic in September 2023. The collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii was also key, as it made it possible to trace it to near the Mount Vesuvius volcano, despite the scarcity of data on the original context of its discovery, the Carabinieri said. The panel was then assigned to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii where, suitably catalogued, it will be protected and available for educational and research purposes. Photos show the tile on display, behind a glass cover. A small crowd gathered to look at and photograph the piece. "Today's return is like healing an open wound," Zuchtriegel said, adding that the mosaic allows to reconstruct the story of that period, the first century A.D., before Pompeii was destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption in A.D. 79. The park's director also highlighted how the return by the heirs of its owner signals an important change in "mentality," as "the sense of possession (of stolen art) becomes a heavy burden." "We see that often in the many letters we receive from people who may have stolen just a stone, to bring home a piece of Pompeii," Zuchtriegel said. Photos posted on social media by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii show the mosaic being handed over by police and later being put on display. Zuchtriegel recalled the so-called "Pompeii curse," which according to a popular superstition hits whoever steals artifacts in Pompeii. The world-known legend suggests that those who steal finds from the ancient city of Pompeii will experience bad luck or misfortune. That has been fueled over the years by several tourists who return stolen items, claiming they brought them bad luck and caused tragic events.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Erotic Roman mosaic stolen by Nazis during Second World War returns to Pompeii
An erotic-themed mosaic from the Roman era was returned to Pompeii on Tuesday after being stolen by a Nazi during the Second World War. The mosaic panel, on travertine slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological park of Pompeii after being stolen by a Nazi German captain. The artwork was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels. It was arranged by the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart having been returned from the heirs of the last owner, a deceased German citizen. The owner had received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain, assigned to the military supply chain in Italy during the war. The mosaic — dating between mid- to last century B.C. and the first century — is considered a work of 'extraordinary cultural interest,' experts said. 'It is the moment when the theme of domestic love becomes an artistic subject,' said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and co-author of an essay dedicated to the returned work. 'While the Hellenistic period, from the fourth to the first century B.C., exulted the passion of mythological and heroic figures, now we see a new theme." The heirs of the mosaic's last owner in Germany contacted the Carabinieri unit in Rome that's dedicated to protecting cultural heritage, which was in charge of the investigation, asking for information on how to return the mosaic to the Italian state. Authorities carried out the necessary checks to establish its authenticity and provenance, and then worked to repatriate the mosaic in September 2023. The collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii was also key, as it made it possible to trace it to near the Mount Vesuvius volcano, despite the scarcity of data on the original context of its discovery, the Carabinieri said. The panel was then assigned to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii where, suitably catalogued, it will be protected and available for educational and research purposes. 'Today's return is like healing an open wound,' Zuchtriegel said, adding that the mosaic allows to reconstruct the story of that period, the first century A.D., before Pompeii was destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption in A.D. 79. The park's director also highlighted how the return by the heirs of its owner signals an important change in 'mentality,' as 'the sense of possession (of stolen art) becomes a heavy burden.' 'We see that often in the many letters we receive from people who may have stolen just a stone, to bring home a piece of Pompeii,' Zuchtriegel said. He recalled the so-called 'Pompeii curse,' which according to a popular superstition hits whoever steals artifacts in Pompeii. The world-known legend suggests that those who steal finds from the ancient city of Pompeii will experience bad luck or misfortune. That has been fueled over the years by several tourists who return stolen items, claiming they brought them bad luck and caused tragic events.
