Over a hundred historical amphoras confiscated in Formentera

01/02/2020

The Civil Guard seized more than 100 relics of historical value in Formentera after interrogating several fishermen. They had hidden the relics from Roman and Phoenician times with the intention to sell them.

The police found the amphoras stored in seven houses and eleven fishermen’s huts on Formentera, many damaged, but a good 40 of them were still completely intact. All pieces date from the Roman and Phoenician periods and are believed to be dated to the first and second centuries BC, said the Guardia Civil. During the investigation, it emerged that the fishermen had discovered the amphoras on the seabed off the island and recovered them using trawls, but did not report them as required.

The investigation was led by SEPRONA officials, supported by the “Grupo Especial de Actividades Subacuáticas” (GEAS) of the Guardia Civil of Mallorca. Employees of the “Servicio del Patrimonio Histórico” (Institute for Historical Heritage) are now cataloging the amphoras.