Nymphaion in ancient city of Side undergoing restoration

Restoration and conversation is set to start again at the Monumental Fountain (Nymphaion) in the ancient city of Side in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.

The Nymphaion of Side [Credit: AA]

The Monumental Fountain dates back to the 2nd century AD and has undergone a series of restorations since 2004.

Antalya Surveying and Monuments Director Cemil Karabayram, who recently visited the ancient site, said only 20 percent of the restoration has so far been completed, but the work will be finished in the coming period.

Karabayram said a financial allocation for the project had been provided under the auspices of Culture and Tourism Minister Professor Numan Kurtulmuş, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Antalya Governor Münir Karalıoğlu, and a tender will be initiated in the coming days.

He said there are a number of large stone blocks in the area, which have each been documented with a separate number, adding that the blocks and the arch structure at the front of the site will be placed on the upper columns.

Karabayram said the restoration team strongly suspects that new blocks will be found under the layer of soil right behind the fountain.

“Excavations will unearth these new blocks. I hope that we will make the fountain complete by finishing the work. Tourists will be able to enter the area and visit the fountain. Almost 12 million Turkish Liras have been allocated for the entire Side region and its monumental structures,” he added.

The restoration team plans to restore the pool system in front of the fountain to its original state, while the asphalt in the gate of the castle, which is located at the entrance of Side, will be removed.

Karabayram said the excavations at the ancient site of Side were first initiated by Professor Arif Müfit Mansel, whose words and articles about Side are very important.

“Mansel said a copy of this fountain was constructed in Italy by Italians. Of course this was a matter of debate but we are carrying out work for it. We are talking with art historians about this issue, and whether the fountain here was a source of inspiration for the fountain in Rome,” he added.

Karabayram also said some columns of the fountain have been preserved throughout history.

“All of these columns are original and new materials will never be used in the restoration. But some extra blocks could be placed in order to provide balance,” he added.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [September 22, 2017]

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Racism behind outlandish theories about Africa’s ancient architecture

Some of the most impressive buildings and cities ever made by humans can be found in Africa: the ruined city of Great Zimbabwe, Mapungubwe in South Africa, Kenya’s Gedi Ruins and Meroe in Sudan. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring of these are the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Giza, in Egypt.

The pyramids of Giza on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt [Credit: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters]

This should come as no surprise. Africa has an extensive archaeological record, extending as far back as 3.3 million years ago when the first-ever stone tool was made in what is today Kenya. The continent’s cultural complexity and diversity is well established; it is home to the world’s oldest-known pieces of art. And, of course, it is the birth place of modern humans’ ancient ancestors, Homo sapiens.

Despite all this evidence, some people still refuse to believe that anyone from Africa (or anywhere in what is today considered the developing world) could possibly have created and constructed the Giza pyramids or other ancient masterpieces. Instead, they credit ancient astronauts, extraterrestrials or time travellers as the real builders.

Well, you may ask, so what? Who cares if relatively few people don’t believe the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids? What’s the harm? Actually, there is great harm: firstly, these people try to prove their theories by travelling the world and desecrating ancient artefacts. Secondly, they perpetuate and give air to the racist notion that only Europeans – white people – ever were and ever will be capable of such architectural feats.

A threat to world heritage

In 2014 two German pseudo-scientists set out to “prove” that academics were concealing the Giza pyramids’ “real” origin. To do so, they chiselled off a piece of one of the pyramids – of course, without authorisation, so they could “analyse” it.

And earlier in 2017 scientists from the World Congress on Mummy Studies in South America published a communique on their Facebook page to draw attention to the raiding of Nazca graves for a pseudo-scientific research programme called the Alien project. It insists that aliens rather than ancient Peruvians were responsible for the famous geoglyphs called the Nazca Lines, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Such incidents exemplify the threats to developing nations’ cultural heritage. Conservation authorities around the world must spend a great deal of money to protect and restore unique pieces of heritage, and to guard them against vandalism. For instance, the most recent overhaul planned for the Giza site – back in 2008 – was estimated at a cost of USD$45 million.

These are not wealthy nations, as a rule, and it costs money they often don’t have to repair the damage done by, among others, pseudo-scientists.

The ancient city of Meroe [Credit: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters]

Racism and colonial attitudes

A series of stone circles in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province provides an excellent example of the other problem with pseudo-archaeologists. Some people genuinely believe that these structures were designed by aliens. They scoff at scientific research that proves the stone circles were made by the Koni people using ropes, sticks and wood. They will not even entertain the notion that ancient African tribes could be responsible.

But the same people have no problem believing that medieval Europeans built the continent’s magnificent cathedrals using only ropes, sticks and wood. They dismiss scientific research that overwhelmingly proves ancient Africans’ prowess, but insist the documents which contain evidence of Europeans’ construction processes are beyond reproach.

Why is it so hard for some to acknowledge that ancient non-European civilisations like the Aztecs, people from Easter Island, ancient Egyptians or Bantu-speakers from southern Africa could create intricate structures?

The answer is unfortunately as simple as it seems: it boils down to profound racism and a feeling of white superiority that emanates from the rotting corpse of colonialism.

Colonial powers saw their “subjects” in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia as exotic, fascinating – but ultimately primitive.

An increasing knowledge and understanding of the archaeological record mostly dispelled these notions. But for some, and until nowadays, it seems unthinkable that ancient non-European societies have been resourceful and creative enough to erect such monuments. So, the thinking went, conventional science must have been missing or hiding something: ancient astronauts, aliens, or the lost civilisation of Atlantis. Even some mainstream scholars have dabbled in this thinking.

Telling the truth

The internet and social media has given these modern conspiracy junkies a perfect platform to share their theories. They try to make others believe that scientists are hiding “the truth” about ancient monuments. Sometimes they even succeed.

There is a risk that they will drown out quality knowledge and science with their colourful, outlandish theories. When such bizarre theories emerge, it can water down people’s understanding and appreciation of Africa’s architectural and cultural heritage.

At the same time, these theories can prevent awareness about Africa’s rich heritage from developing. The heirs of the real builders may never learn about their ancestors’ remarkable achievements.

Scientists have a crucial role to play in turning the tide on such harmful theories. Those of us who are doing ongoing research around the continent’s architectural and fossil record should be sharing our findings in a way that engages ordinary people.

We must show them just how awe-inspiring structures like Great Zimbabwe, Meroe and the Giza Pyramids are – not because they were created by some alien race, but because they are living proof of ancient societies’ ingenuity.

Author: Julien Benoit | Source: The Conversation [September 20, 2017]

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Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens to get structural makeover

The colossal Temple of Olympian Zeus or 'Olympeion' in central Athens, one of the signature monuments of the Greek capital, is to undergo a complete structural repair and restoration. The go-ahead for the plans was given by Greece's Central Archaeological Council in a recent session.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens [Credit: Kristen Fletcher, Flickr]

"The monument has several structural restoration problems. There had been no progress on the issue until now because it had to be inducted into some sort of National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) programme," the head of the Athens Antiquities Ephorate Eleni Banou told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency on Tuesday.

The restoration had to be attempted, Banou noted, "because as I said to the CAC, if we don't we will be answerable to history."

There is currently extensive structural damage to the colossal monument, she pointed out, especially to the columns, which make it urgent to mount a "rescue operation" to stop the causes for its continued wear and to reinforce its structural stability. The proposed plans envisage the repair of damaged architectural elements and work to maintain the marble surfaces.

The last recorded major damage to the monument was in 1944, during the Greek civil war, where the marks of the bullets were still visible on the columns, Banou said. Prior to that, the bulk of the damage was done in the Byzantine era when most of its 104 pillars were ground down to make first-class lime or looted for use as building materials.

Currently, only 16 pillars of the massive temple still survive and were re-erected in their present form in 1835, while the last work to structurally support the monument was done in the late 1960s.

Construction of the Olympeion began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until 638 years after later, by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. During Roman times it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece.

Source: ANA-MPA [September 19, 2017]

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Man charged for theft of fossil footprints in Crete

Greek police arrested on Friday a 55-year-old man in connection with the theft of 10 fossilised footprints which were stolen on earlier this week from the site where they were uncovered in Kissamos, Western Crete, authorities said.

The vandalised site, showing fresh sand along the edges of the slab where it has been lifted and the holes left 
by the removal of two blocks in the centre [Credit: Babis Fassoulas]

The suspect faces charges of violating laws on protection of cultural heritage. Authorities were able to locate quickly in regions of Kissamos and Thessaloniki all ten fossils. The objects will be send to Chania to be examined by experts.

The site has been buried in haste to avoid further thefts [Credit: Babis Fassoulas]

Ten of some 40 footprints on the site were cut away and removed from the rock where they were found by a Polish paleontologist in 2002. The 5.7-million-year-old fossils are believed to belong to a hominid ancestor of modern humans and their discovery could upend established theories of human evolution.

The buried site [Credit: Babis Fassoulas]

The theft was reported by a member of the public that visited the site on Tuesday and alerted local police, and was later confirmed by the Natural History Museum of Crete. The investigation of the case is continuing.

Source: ANA-MPA [September 15, 2017]

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In Namibia, 1533 Portuguese shipwreck's relics hidden away

Diamond prospectors in Namibia nearly a decade ago stumbled upon remnants of a shipwrecked Portuguese vessel whose trading journey to India was cut violently short by a storm in 1533. Today the artifacts from the doomed ship, described by archaeologists as one of that era's most important finds, remain a hidden treasure.

In this photograph taken on Thursday, April 17, 2008, a worker holds gold coins from the wreck of a 16th century 
Portuguese ship that was discovered in a diamond-mining area on Namibia's Atlantic coast, in Oranjemund 
[Credit: Dieter Noli via AP]

Relics stored in a dimly lit warehouse at a diamond mine on Namibia's Atlantic coast include bronze cannons, copper ingots, eroded musket stocks, cracked ivory tusks and rusted sword sheaths, but they are seen by only a small number of visitors who navigate sealed doors and other stringent security features at the mine operated by Namdeb, a joint venture between Namibia and the De Beers company. More than 2,000 gold coins from the wreck, most of them Spanish and Portuguese, are in a central bank vault in Windhoek, the capital.

The remains of the ship owned by Portuguese King Joao III, identified by archaeologists as the Bom Jesus, are in limbo in this southern African country where many vessels foundered over the centuries on its treacherous coastline. While Namibia says it needs resources to preserve, restore and display the trove, some archaeologists believe political will is lacking and worry that the chance for valuable research and a tourism bonanza is closing as decay takes its toll.

"It would have been a wonderful bonus for the Namibian government," said Dieter Noli, who worked at the Bom Jesus excavation site, which had been safe from plunderers in a diamond-mining area called the Sperrgebiet, or "prohibited area" in German.

In this photograph taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2008, copper ingots from the wreck of a 16th century 
Portuguese ship lie in the sand shortly after the discovery of the relics in a diamond-mining area 
on Namibia's Atlantic coast. The ingots were to be traded for spices in India and were stamped 
with the trident symbol of a German trading house [Credit: Dieter Noli via AP]

The significance of the ship "lies in the fact that it is the only one from that time that is untouched, unlooted," Noli said. "Therefore, it offers a more complete window into the past."

Plans to open a Bom Jesus museum in the mining town of Oranjemund, near the shipwreck site, are languishing.

Namibia needs a sponsor to "kick-start" the museum project and Oranjemund has set aside land for it, said Esther Moombolah-Goagoses, head of Namibia's national museum, which oversees the shipwreck.

A Namibian government worker holds a brass medical syringe that was recovered from the wreck 
of a 16th century Portuguese ship, which was discovered in 2008 on Namibia's desolate Atlantic 
coastline, in Oranjemund, Namibia, Tuesday, June 13, 2017 [Credit: Chris Torchia, AP]

Mowa Eliot, a Namibian maritime archaeologist, said the discovery of the Bom Jesus was a "turning point" in Namibia's appreciation for maritime heritage and that the government is committed to conserving the remains.

Portugal decided not to reclaim possession of the artifacts "as the country whose flag it was flying under," the Portuguese culture ministry said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press. It said Portuguese teams assisted Namibian and Zimbabwean archaeologists working on the wreck in 2008 and 2009, and that it is in touch with Namibian authorities about staging a traveling exhibition of the finds in Windhoek and Portugal.

Portugal plans to hold a conservation and restoration course in Oranjemund and "is waiting to hear from Namibia about its training needs," the ministry said.

A Namibian government worker holds a pewter plate in a warehouse in Oranjemund, Namibia, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 
where relics recovered from the wreck of a 16th century Portuguese ship, which was discovered in 2008, are stored.
 The artefacts are being kept at a high-security diamond mine in the while more than 2,000 Spanish and Portuguese 
gold coins were taken to a central bank vault in the Namibian capital, Windhoek [Credit: Chris Torchia, AP]

Since independence from white minority rule in 1990, Namibia has sought to reinforce national and indigenous culture, highlighting the long history of the San people as well as the brutal legacy of German colonizers. At the same time, it receives extensive funding from Germany and vigorously promotes itself as a destination for international tourists.

While the fate of the crew of the Bom Jesus is unknown, the ship's relics include pewter plates, cutlery handles, a brass medical syringe and goods that were to be traded for spices in India - ingots stamped with the trident symbol of a German trading house, and elephant ivory believed to have been transported from West Africa to Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. Wood planks from the ship's structure and weapon parts are kept in tanks of water, a conservation process that removes corrosion-causing salt.

Noli, the archaeologist, said the ingots are "quietly going green and are literally flaking away" while other materials such as wood and leather are slowly disintegrating. Three astrolabes, devices used for navigation, should be flown to Portugal for restoration and research, Noli said.

This photo taken Tuesday, June 13, 2017 shows diamond mine facilities in the town of Oranjemund, Namibia. Relic from
 the wreck of a 16th century Portuguese ship that was discovered in the area on Namibia's Atlantic coast are kept in a 
warehouse at the diamond mine, and plans to open a museum to display some of the artefacts are moving slowly 
[Credit: Chris Torchia, AP]

In a 2016 report, the Portuguese television channel RTP visited the Windhoek bank vault in hopes of seeing the stash of gold coins. In one awkward scene, Namibian officials standing in front of a padlocked safe box said to contain the gold say they can't open it because there is a problem with documents.

Alexandre Monteiro, an expert at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal, said Namibia should ask UNESCO, the United Nations cultural body, to send a technical team to evaluate the artifacts.

"With every passing day, the opportunities we have to stop this process of degradation are diminishing," he said in the RTP report. "The Bom Jesus will indeed disappear in a few years' time if nothing gets done."

See also: Treasure-filled Portuguese shipwreck found in desert coastline of Namibia

Author: Christopher Torchia | Source: The Associated Press [September 15, 2017]

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Thieves break into Latin Church in Istanbul’s Beyoglu, steal artefacts

Four thieves broke into a Latin Catholic Church in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul, stealing a number of religious artefacts on Sept. 15 but were caught later in the day.

AA Photo

Two of the thieves managed to break into the Catholic Church in the Karakoy neighbourhood from a derelict building behind the church after initially failing to enter the shrine from the front door at around 7:30 a.m. The other two had been watching the surroundings for any threat to their robbery attempt.

The thieves later took the religious artefacts outside the church and loaded them into vehicles, which included a statue, a cross, many paintings and several religious books.

Meanwhile, police examined city surveillance cameras around the scene, determining the vehicles they used in the attempt and their subsequent addresses.

The four, identified only as Osman Adnan K., Adem H., Bekir M. and Karim M., of Uzbek-origin, were detained at three different addresses in the Zeytinburnu district.

They pleaded guilty and said they had sold a carpet stolen from the church to an auctioneer in Beyoglu. It was later taken back before being sold.

While performing a search at their addresses, police also seized books and symbols, which had previously been stolen from different churches.

Their proceedings at the police headquarters have been ongoing.

In addition, the Catholic Church had reportedly been closed for five years due to renovations.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [September 15, 2017]

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Fossil footprints of early human ancestor stolen from Crete

A number of fossilised footprints believed to belong to a hominid ancestor of modern humans have been stolen from Kissamos on Crete, by a person or persons unknown, authorities revealed on Thursday. Ten of some 40 footprints on the Kasteli site have been cut away and removed from the rock, where they were found by a Polish paleontologist in 2002.

Athens-Macedonian News Agency Photo

The theft was reported by a member of the public that visited the site on Tuesday and alerted local police, and was later confirmed by the Natural History Museum of Crete.

Police and scientists are now investigating the case, while Kissamos Mayor Thodoris Stathakis, in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, said it raised an issue of protecting cultural heritage sites in the area.

"The issue of showcasing but also protecting antiquities that exist in the region must be dealt with directly," he said.

In an announcement issued on Thursday, the Natural History Museum of Crete confirmed the theft and was sharply critical of those responsible.

".. Following information we received, a member of the research team, Charalambos Fasoulas, visited Kissamos on Wednesday and carried out an inspection. This confirmed that at some time, probably at the beginning of the previous week, unknown individuals acting selfishly and without conscience had proceeded to destroy and remove from the archaeological site sections of rocks that included 10 footprints out of a total of 40 that have been studied. Mr. Fasoulas went to the police station in the area and reported the incident, providing all information possible," the announcement said.

The announcement also noted that the entire site and the footprints found have been accurately measured and recorded by research teams using laser techniques, so that every part of it is immediately identifiable and recognisable. As a result, it added, it would be impossible to attempt to sell the footprints without this being immediately detected.

"Consequently, if anyone thought that they could profit from this act they are out of luck. The Museum unequivocally condemns this action, which is shameful for our country and for all of us. It accepts the share of responsibility that probably belongs to it and calls on all the agencies and services involved to take immediate action today to protect the site and the fossils from possible similar destructive actions, as well as to take the necessary action to showcase the finds, which was the desire of the entire research team."

Source: ANA-MPA [September 14, 2017]

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‘Sarcophagus of Heracles’ returned to Turkey after 50 years

The Sarcophagus of Heracles, which was smuggled out of Turkey after being found during an illegal excavation in the Aksu district of Antalya in the 1960s, has been returned to Turkey, the Karar daily reported on Thursday.

AA Photo

The sculpture, which was seized by Swiss authorities during an inventory check at the Port of Geneva in 2010, has been returned to Turkey’s culture and tourism ministry officials in Geneva.

The sarcophagus was taken to Zurich on Wednesday morning after packing and sealing was completed in Geneva Consulate and was brought to Atatürk Airport in İstanbul on Wednesday evening.

The sculpture will be transferred to Antalya to be exhibited at the Antalya Museum.

The Sarcophagus of Heracles, which is believed to have originated in the ancient city of Perge near Antalya in the second century BC, is a Roman marble sarcophagus depicting the Twelve Labors of Hercules.

It was seized at the Geneva Freeport warehouse following an inventory check. The Geneva Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which investigated the case, ordered the return of the Heracles sculpture to Turkey in 2015.

The decision was challenged by the Swiss Federal Court, but the appeal was withdrawn and a final decision was made in May 2016 for the return of the sarcophagus to Turkey.

Source: Turkish Minute [Sepember 14, 2017]

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Stonehenge road tunnel gets go-ahead despite protests

Years of protests from druids and archaeologists have failed to derail plans for a new road tunnel near Britain's Stone Age site of Stonehenge, which received final approval from the government on Tuesday.

The site of Stonehenge in England was built in stages, from around 3,000 BC to 2,300 BC 
[Credit: AFP/Chris J. Ratcliffe]

The 1.8-mile (2.9-kilometre) tunnel is planned to reduce frequent congestion on a major east-west road axis across England and has a budget of £1.6 billion (1.8 billion euros, $2.1 billion).

Officials have moved the planned route away from the UNESCO World Heritage site in response to criticism.

But Stonehenge Alliance, a group of non-governmental organisations, said it would cause "severe and permanent damage to the archaeological landscape".

"The project needs a complete re-think, not a minor tweak which still threatens major harm to this iconic landscape," said Kate Fielden from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, a member of the alliance.

Conservation groups English Heritage and the National Trust gave their approval to the plan, however.

"We welcome the amended route and believe it can, if designed and located with the utmost care, deliver a lasting legacy for the World Heritage Site and restore peace and tranquility to the Stonehenge landscape," the charities said in a statement.

Transport Minister Chris Grayling said the new tunnel would provide "a huge boost for the region".

"Quicker journey times, reduced congestion and cleaner air will benefit people locally and unlock growth in the tourism industry," he said.

Stonehenge was built in stages, from around 3,000 BC to 2,300 BC.

Thousands of people gather at the mysterious circle of standing stones on Salisbury Plain for the pagan fest of the summer solstice every year.

It is one of the most impressive prehistoric megalithic monuments anywhere due to its size, sophisticated plan and architectural precision.

Archaeologists have identified similar prehistoric monuments in the area, including another buried circle of stones measuring 500 metres (yards) across.

Source: AFP [September 12, 2017]

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Hellenistic towers of Perge being restored

Conservation, restoration and integration works have been initiated for the Hellenistic towers in the ancient city of Perge in the southern Turkish province of Antalya. The work has been carried out by the Antalya Directorate of Surveying and Monuments.

Hellenistic Towers, Perge [Credit: Konrad Busslinger]

Antalya Surveying and Monuments Director Cemil Karabayram said the ancient city dates back to the second and third B.C. and that the Hellenistic towers needed to be restored.

He said the tender had been finished for the restoration of the towers and the ancient structure was one of the most magnificent structures in the Pamphylia era.

Karabayram said the towers were not built to show off but for defense.

He also said the restoration project had a budget of 2.5 million Turkish Liras and the work in the towers was actually initiated in the beginning of the 2000s.

“Nearly 2,000 stones in the tower were classified. Now the proper stones will be used again in the restoration,” he said.

Karabayram said their restoration will be complete in mid-2019 and the towers will open for tourism.

He said the towers were taken under protection in 2007 with the steel construction method in order to prevent the stones from falling or a possible collapse.

“After the restoration, the steel frames will be removed from the towers. The stones were examined one by one and the project was approved by the relevant preservation board. At the moment, it is evident where most of the stones will go. When the work is complete, we will be able to open 70-80 percent of the Hellenistic towers for tourism. The project will be carried out under the consultancy of academics and scientists,” said Karabayram.

Karabayram noted there is also other restoration work in the ancient city of Perge.

“We are planning to open the theater section for use. Work has also started on the stadium with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry. In addition, we have a street going through the center of the ancient city. It will also go out to tender. Perge is undergoing serious restoration and improvement,” he said.

Professor Jale İnan, Professor Haluk Abbasoğlu and the head of excavations, the Antalya Museum Director Mustafa Demirel, have had an impact on the work in Perge, said Karabayram. He also said the restorations in the area will not be a complete restoration, but will only be made using the available materials.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [September 12, 2017]

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Relief marble slab from the 4th century BC seized by Greek police

A marble relief slab carved with a female figure of significant archaeological and historical value, as well as a section of a cylindrical amphora handle, were discovered during the course of an organized operation by the Ioannina Police Department, in a car in the area of ​​Agrinio (in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit of Greece), followed by the arrests of the driver and co-driver.

Ioannina Police Department photo

According to an archaeologist from the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina, the stylistic features of the triangular-shaped relief, which appear to be part of a funerary stele, indicate a date "probably in the 4th century BC".

The seized antiquity was handed over to the Ephorate of Antiquities for safe-keeping and further assessment, said to the police announcement.

Source: ANA-MPA [September 07, 2017]

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Archaeological site of Faragola in Puglia damaged by fire

A fire damaged the ancient archaeological site of Faragola in Puglia overnight. "It looks like the work of professionals," said Puglia-born archaeologist Giuliano Volpe, who said he was "devastated" by the damage to the fourth-sixth century site, as well as by a series of thefts.

He said pots and terracotta panels had been split by the heat of the flames.

Volpe, head of the higher council for cultural and landscape heritage, said he was "particularly saddened" by the theft of an ancient winged figure.

Source: ANSA [September 07, 2017]

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