Almost 38 thousand archaeological, numismatic, archival and book finds recovered, for a total value of over 2.5 million euros, during over two thousand checks and checks carried out in protected areas, commercial establishments, museums and web platforms.

These are the numbers of the 2023 activity of the Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Cagliari, which has jurisdiction over the whole of Sardinia, to combat clandestine trade, fraud, vandalism and illegal collecting linked to antiquities.

Among the most important operations carried out by the Carabinieri, the investigation which led to the complaint to the Judicial Authority of a man who removed a portion of "tabularia barite with brown flakes" from the Santa Barbara Cave of Iglesias , "jewel ” natural dating back to the Lower Cambrian period (about 500 million years ago), a unique and priceless heritage worldwide.

Also during 2023, the heritage protection carabinieri seized ten metal detectors and two specific tools used for clandestine archaeological excavations in the Campidano areas.

In the sea of the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, in the territory of Arzachena, approximately 30 thousand follis, i.e. bronze coins dating back to the 4th century AD, were also recovered, following a report from a private citizen.

(Unioneonline/lf)

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