La Policía National spagnola ha arrestato il direttore di un museo e recuperato 37 reperti archeologi di provenienza illecita

Abstract: The Spanish National Police recovered thirty-seven archaeological pieces in Tarragona. Eighteen other items seized from the same private collection were counterfeit, whilst the museum manager was convicted of the crimes of theft and reception of cultural properties of the highest social value. In the past, the Brigada de Patrimonio Historíco had already seized an Iberian sculpture from the same museum that was looted back in the 1990s 

L’estate 2021 ha visto la Brigada de Patrimonio Historíco della Polizia Nazionale Spagnola impegnata nel recupero di una scultura iberica raffigurante un toro. L’oggetto proveniva da un saccheggio commesso nella provincia di Cordova alla fine degli anni ’90.

Tenutasi all’interno di un museo privato di Tarragona, l’operazione ha fatto emergere dubbi circa la liceità dell’origine di altri pezzi ivi esposti. 

Le nuove indagini hanno condotto al sequestro di 55 oggetti di diversa origine, tipologia e datazione. Le analisi dei tecnici incaricati dal Governo di Aragona e degli esperti nominati dal Ministero della Cultura e dello Sport hanno accertato che solo 37 di questi fossero originali, mentre gli altri 18 contraffatti.

Fra i beni sequestrati, risaltano per importanza quattro frammenti di un mosaico tardo-romano andaluso. Ne confermano l’origine analisi e perizie degli esperti, i quali hanno potuto confrontarsi con l’immagine raffigurante l’intero mosaico prima che venisse tagliato per essere venduto clandestinamente.

Inoltre, sono stati recuperati ben cinque elmi di cui due romani di tipo Montefortino. Si tratta di una coppia di pezzi legati al saccheggio della città celtibera di Aratis, attuale Aranda de Moncayo. Databile tra il IV e il III secolo a.C., il terzo elmo rappresenta una variante celtiberica del tipo Alpanseque – Almaluez. Gli ultimi due sono elmi ispano-celtiberi del III secolo a.C. e simili a quelli depositati nel Museo di Saragozza in seguito alla sentenza della Corte Suprema (Sez. Penale, n. 335/2010 del 19/06/2020).

Sempre da Aratis provengono altri oggetti di grande importanza, alcuni dei quali caratterizzati da un buono stato di integrità: dischi di armatura o kardiophylakes, umboni di scudo, piastre pettorali utilizzate a scopo ornamentale per le armature, piastre di cintura, una cintura uncinata, etc.

Le perizie degli esperti hanno confermato il legame tra Aratis e i beni sequestrati per il fatto che uno in particolare fosse identico ad un altro oggetto cui si riferisce la sopracitata sentenza e la cui provenienza da Aratis era stata accertata nel corso del processo. Entrambi i pezzi sarebbero stati creati con un unico stampo, probabilmente dallo stesso artigiano, all’interno di una produzione in serie. Nel 2020 la Corte Suprema ha affermato che la connessione tra reperti archeologici e l’antico insediamento iberico di Aratis provava l’origine illecita di tali beni in quanto il sito aveva subito sistematici saccheggi fin dalla sua riscoperta alla fine degli anni Ottanta.

Infine, sono state recuperate due sculture iberiche che, a causa del loro cattivo stato di conservazione, sono ora depositate nel museo a disposizione delle autorità giudiziarie. 

L‘indagine si è conclusa con l’arresto del responsabile del museo accusato dei reati di ricettazione e furto di beni di importante valore storico-culturale e sociale.

The National Police arrested the head of a museum and recovered 37 important archaeological pieces of illicit origin. 

The detainee is allegedly responsible for crimes against historical heritage, receiving and theft of something of social or cultural use.

The pieces were seized from a privately owned museum. In addition to these 37 stolen pieces, 18 forged pieces were seized.

Agents of the National Police have recovered 37 archaeological pieces of great importance from plundering along with another 18 fake pieces that were in the museum of a private foundation in the province of Tarragona. In addition, investigators have arrested a person on suspicion of crimes against historical heritage, receiving and theft of something of social or cultural use. 

Last June 2021, a sculpture of an Iberian bull from a plunder committed in the province of Cordoba at the end of the 1990s was found in a museum in Tarragona. During this action, the investigators noticed that the museum was exhibiting archaeological goods which, due to their appearance, could also have come from archaeological plundering. These suspicions led to the opening of an investigation to clarify their origin.

Two Iberian sculptures were also recovered which, due to their poor state of conservation, were deposited in the museum at judicial disposal.

Of the 55 pieces analyzed by the specialists, it was concluded after their study that 37 were originals and that the other 18 were fakes.

The investigation ended with the arrest of the person in charge of the museum as the alleged perpetrator of crimes against historical heritage, reception and theft of things belonging to their social or cultural usefulness.

As a result of the police investigations, a total of 55 pieces were seized by court order, including Iberian sculptures, fragments of a Roman mosaic and other objects of Celtiberian origin. The latter were taken to Zaragoza for study by technicians from the Government of Aragon, while the rest were analysed by experts appointed by the Ministry of Culture and Sport.

The items seized

Among the items seized, five helmets stand out for their importance; two Roman helmets of Montefortine type and another three of Celtiberian origin. The latter are iconic pieces linked to the plundering of the well-known Celtiberian city of Aratis (Aranda del Moncayo, Zaragoza) and its immediate surroundings. Two are Hispano-Celtiberian helmets, dated approximately to the 3rd century BC and similar to those deposited in the Provincial Museum of the Aragonese capital following judgement 335/2010, dated 19 June 2020, of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court. The third Celtiberian helmet, a unique variant of the Alpanseque – Almaluez type, dating from between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, is also a piece of extraordinary archaeological value. 

Also from the Celtiberian city of Aratis and its immediate surroundings, the police seized other pieces of great importance: armour discs or kardiophylakes, numerous tetralobulated metal pieces that served as personal adornment for warriors, shield umbos, belt plates, a tahalí or hooked belt, pectoral plates used for ornamental purposes, etc. Among the latter is an exceptional piece of fretwork due to its rarity and integrity, as until now only minimal fragments of similar pieces had been found.

The aforementioned ruling of the Supreme Court considers as a proven fact the illicit origin of all the materials linked to the site of Aratis and its surroundings, systematically plundered since its accidental discovery at the end of the 1980s.

The link between Aratis and the goods seized in the Tarragona museum is made clear in the expert reports drawn up by the experts, since it is a coincidence that one of the plaques seized by the National Police is identical to another one seized from the defendants in the aforementioned case. Both pieces were created using a single die, probably by the same craftsman, within the same production batch or series. 

In addition to the materials from Aragon, the police intervention affected pieces with other geographical origins, mainly Andalusia. Four fragments of a late Roman mosaic stand out, which the investigators undoubtedly identified as having been looted, as they had the image of the whole mosaic before it was found and cut up by the looters for sale on the illicit market.

Two Iberian sculptures were also recovered which, due to their poor state of conservation, were deposited in the museum at the disposal of the judicial authorities. 

Of the 55 pieces analysed by the specialists, it was concluded after their study that 37 were originals and that the other 18 were forgeries. 

The investigation ended with the arrest of the person in charge of the museum as the alleged perpetrator of crimes against historical heritage, receiving and theft of something of social or cultural use.