Suomen kuvalehti

Italy looted antiquity

In this photo provided by the Italian Guardia di Finanza police Tuesday June 16, 2009, an officer inspects an illegally excavated marble bas-relief depicting one ancient Rome’s most popular gods Mithra, worshipped mainly by the empire’s soldiers. Police said Tuesday the relief was recovered in March at a private country house near Rome. Investigators believe the artwork, depicting the ancient god Mithra slaying a bull, was about to be sold to a Japanese art collector. Four people were arrested in the case. In Italy, archaeological finds must be reported to authorities. Experts called the 2nd-century A.D. work a rare and exceptional find. It is now undergoing restoration.