A series of archaeological objects were seized from a private individual in Corse-du-Sud, several of which, "
extremely rare
", come from a 16th century wreck near St-Tropez, the gendarmerie and the responsible service announced on Wednesday 4 November. to keep them.
Read also: Coronavirus: reopening of archaeological sites in Peru
Among these discoveries, held illegally by an individual in Serra di Ferro, "
five are rare and historically crucial for the understanding of Mediterranean maritime navigation
", announced the Corsican gendarmerie on its Facebook page.
"
A patrol accidentally discovered an amphora or a pot, visible to everyone, placed on the perimeter wall of a property which caught the eye of one of our reservists specializing in archeology
", explained Jean- Philippe Walliser, second in command of Sartène's company.
"
When we question the individual, he collaborates perfectly and says that he has other objects and we end up with this collection of 26 pieces, or 16 objects
", he added.
The objects were "
seized and handed over to the Department of Underwater and Underwater Archaeological Research (DRASSM), for study and conservation,
" said the gendarmerie.
"
Of the 16 pieces, two are extremely rare, they are two Ligurian earthenware plates that come from a wreck on the Provencal coast
," said Franca Cibecchini, head of the Corsican coast at DRASSM, based in Marseille.
"
Until now, we only had a plate and a half preserved from this 16th century wreck called Cap Lardier One
" from the name of the site to the south of the Saint-Tropez peninsula where it was discovery and which has several wrecks, she explained, describing "
a very particular style reminiscent of Chinese porcelain
".
