Sunday, August 15, 2010

Tomb Raiding in Turkey

It's been called Anatolia, Asia Minor, and Rum. It has been home to various civilizations such as the Trojans, the Hitties, the Romans, and the Ottomans. Today the country is known as Turkey and with it being an epicenter of various peoples and cultures it is no surprise that there is a rich history buried under ground. 

Recently, the Turkish government had to pass tough laws with strict penalties for unauthorized digs in the country. For the most part those caught, "Tomb Raiding," find things of little historical significance however are able to sell them on a type of antiquity black market. A few days ago police raided the home of one of these unauthorized digs and discovered a major historical find. What was found were two tunnels that led to an underground tomb which housed a marble coffin and ancient frescoes that archaeologists are dating back nearly 2,800 years. So far an official dig is underway and five of the ten people detained originally have been arrested and charged.  

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/08/13/turkey-discovers-ancient-underground-tomb/

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...