Guardia Civil officers seize 257 historical artefacts worth almost €307,000 in Spain

GUARDIA CIVIL officers in Castilla y Leon have seized 257 archaeological items which date from ancient times to the 15^th Century and are estimated to be worth almost €307,000.
Police seized the items as part of Operation Fibulas, an investigation into artefacts allegedly illegally taken from sites in the Valle del Tiertar area during the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Virginia Barcones, the Spanish government’s representative in Castilla y Leon, said the investigation had helped to recover items that belonged in the public domain.
The investigation which led to the seizing of the artefacts began in April. The probe led officers to uncover a seal dating from the 15^th Century which someone in Avila Province allegedly possessed illegally.
A further 256 items were then uncovered. These included a flint arrowhead and a bronze and silver coin which are believed to have been minted by the Iberian civilisation in the 1^st Century BCE.
A further 124 Roman coins and stone objects were found, as well as 58 ceramics. All the pieces are set to be handed over to the Museum of Avila.