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'Everywhere they dig': looters hunt Albanian antiques
Illicit treasure hunters operate with near impunity in the country, stirring outrage among archaeologists over the theft of priceless national heritage that feeds a global black market.
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Archaeologist, Skender Mucaj inspects holes dug by illegal treasure hunters at the ruins of the Church of St. Mary in Brrar, near the city of Tirana on June 13, 2022. The Church of St. Mary is an archeological site of an 11th-century monument that has been heavily damaged by illegal digs. In an ancient Albanian city abandoned to its fate, treasure looters dig holes in search of gold, silver or rare archaeological pieces that they could resell.
(AFP/Gent Shkullaku)
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hards of ceramics litter the fields of an ancient city in southeastern Albania, where looters have raided the area's highlands in search of antiquities to sell to international traffickers.
Illicit treasure hunters operate with near impunity in the country, stirring outrage among archaeologists over the theft of priceless national heritage that feeds a global black market.
The government says it is working on measures to protect and preserve the sites looters prey on, but so far to little avail -- even though removing archaeological artifacts is a crime, as in most countries.
Now covered in wild vegetation, the region near present-day Korce was once home to the city of Hija e Korbit, or the "Shadow of the Raven".
The site, nestled against a hillside, has been ravaged in recent years by looters armed with shovels and backhoes searching for rare metals and artefacts.
"There are people from all regions who rush to these places," says Axhem Lageshtari, 60, a local resident.
"Everywhere they dig. They search in the hope of finding gold, silver or other valuables."
