Two divers looted hundreds of ancient Greek and Roman artifacts from the seabed in Abu Qir Bay near Alexandria, Egypt, according to the New York Post.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior posted photos of the ancient objects on Facebook.
The items date from Greek and Roman times, specifically from 500 BCE to 400 CE, according to authorities, as reported by Focus Online.
The divers took a total of 448 items, including 305 coins, 53 statues, 41 axes, 20 bronze objects, 14 bronze cups, 12 spears, and three statue heads, according to Enikos.
Many of the coins are elaborately decorated with animal representations such as lions, elephants, turtles, dolphins, scorpions, whales, and what appears to be a crossbow, as reported by Focus Online. Two coins seem to depict the immortal winged horse Pegasus from Greek mythology.
The stolen artifacts have a turquoise patina due to oxidation after centuries of exposure to seawater, the New York Post noted.
One of the men is reportedly a convicted criminal, according to authorities, the New York Post stated. The background of the individuals is being scrutinized as part of the ongoing investigation.
“They admitted that they wanted to sell the coins,” officials stated, according to Enikos.
The Egyptian authorities are continuing their investigations into the theft. Efforts are being made to enhance the protection of submerged archaeological sites to prevent such incidents in the future.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
