In Zakarpattia, a "black archaeologist" unearthed and tried to sell a unique treasure of bronze celts: he will face trial
Kyiv • UNN
In Zakarpattia, a man will be tried for illegally excavating an archaeological site and attempting to sell a unique treasure of bronze celts, over three thousand years old. Law enforcement officers stopped the sale of artifacts from the Gava-Holihrady culture, which have now been transferred to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.
In Zakarpattia, a man will be tried for illegally excavating an archaeological site and attempting to sell a unique treasure of bronze axes-celts, which are over three thousand years old. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, writes UNN.
The Uzhhorod District Prosecutor's Office has approved and sent to court an indictment against a 42-year-old Uzhhorod resident who conducted illegal archaeological excavations and then tried to sell a unique archaeological find dated approximately XII–IX centuries BC.
Instead of informing specialists about the find, the man concealed it and tried to sell it at an online auction.
However, the illegal sale was stopped: law enforcement officers worked together with representatives of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, who discovered the valuable lot during monitoring.
Archaeologists confirmed that this is a unique treasure of the Gava-Holihrady culture – a community that lived in the Carpathians and Dniester region at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages. The fact that the artifacts were found in a ceramic vessel adds special value.
Now all the items have been handed over to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, and the "treasure hunter" himself will have to answer in court. He is accused of illegal excavations and appropriation of cultural values. If found guilty, the punishment can be severe.