Ebay sale of suspected Iraqi loot halted
THE EBAY SELLER of a 4,000 year old clay tablet suspected of having been smuggled out of Iraq faces potential prosecution by Swiss authorities.
The attempted online auction of the ancient business card sized fired clay tablet incised with wedge-shaped cuneiform script was halted by Ebay a few minutes before it would have closed. Ebay didn't disclose the highest bid outstanding at the time the sale was yanked, but such objects can trade for very large sums.
A German archaeologist saw the object up for sale on Ebay in Switzerland and called the polizei, who alerted Swiss authorities. After Ebay pulled the auction Zurich police confiscated the item from a storage facility.
Swiss authorities are investigating the tablet's provenance and, if turns out to have been smuggled out of Iraq after 1990, will return it to Iraq's government.
The seller faces a possible fine of up to £212,000 ($430,000) and prison time if convicted of violating Swiss laws against illegal trading in cultural antiquities.
The Associated Press story is here. µ
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I hope that they are going to go empty out their museums and private collector's display cases next. Most of what is in both of those came through the raping of various countries heritage in a time when these countries had no ability to stop it.

Oh but wait... those artifacts are safer where they are and belong to the respected organization. Or at least thats the party line whenever the subject is approached.