Ancient treasures unearthed in Athens basement bust

In Athens, employees of the National Gallery made an extraordinary discovery in the basement of a jewelry and art store. After the tenants were evicted, artifacts dating back to the 7th century BC were found behind concealed doors.

The discovery includes vases, coins, jugs, 102 bowls, figurines, amphoras, and other artifacts from periods ranging from the Geometric to the Hellenistic.

In addition to ancient artifacts, 36 icons and religious items from the post-Byzantine period were discovered, along with 3,247 coins, medals, and seals spanning from antiquity to modern times. The artifacts were hidden in old boxes, and some were wrapped in newspapers from the 1940s.

The Greek Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, emphasized that many of these items originate from illegal transactions. "Beyond the repatriation of cultural goods exported illegally from Greece, there are also cases of illegal acquisition of goods domestically. One of those cases was identified in the heart of Athens," Mendoni noted.

The discovered treasures have been transferred to museum storage, where they will be kept until the investigation is complete. Greek authorities are conducting an investigation into the origin of these artifacts to determine how they ended up in the store's basement in Athens. This discovery sheds new light on the problem of illegal antiquities trade in Greece.