Cyrenaican antiquities: keep watch

Readers of LM will be aware that antiquities from Cyrenaica (Libya) do surface on the European market (see here). The Director-General of UNESCO has now asked dealers and galleries to be alert for antiquities that may have derived from the looting of archaeological sites in Libya (see BBC report). There is a telling comment: "careless dealers who buy these objects and fragments are in fact inciting more looting".

It is a timely reminder for buyers to insist on seeing authenticated documentation before making a purchase.

Libya is the potential source of classical material ranging from archaic pottery from the early Greek settlements, to Late Antique sculptures and architectural fragments.