Two thieves donned diving gear to steal hundreds of ancient Greek and Roman artifacts from the seabed in Egypt, according to the country’s Interior Ministry.
Egyptian authorities say the men – one of whom has a criminal record – scoured the seabed of Abu Qir Bay, not far from Alexandria on the shores of the Mediterranean.
The looters took away 448 objects: 305 coins, 53 statues, 41 axes, 20 bronze coins, 14 bronze cups, 12 spears and three statue heads, the ministry said in a Facebook post containing photos of the old lucre.
The men admitted they intended to traffic in the items, which date back to Greek and Roman times between 2,500 and 1,600 years ago, authorities said.
The pieces are intricately carved and depict images such as turtles, whales, elephants and what appears to be a crossbow.
Many of the looted items have taken on a rich turquoise hue, caused by oxidation from centuries of exposure to seawater.
