Urgent preliminary investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office into the Antikythera antiquities

This concerns the case of the salvage of an ancient stone anchor and a cannon from the seabed of Antikythera, which was carried out without shipowner P. Laskaridis having first obtained permission from the competent Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture, as expressly provided for by archaeological legislation and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. Meanwhile, a report on this specific case and the illegalities that have been identified has already been forwarded by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities to the Athens Public Prosecutor's Office since last September.

The urgent preliminary investigation by the 5th Investigative Department of Piraeus is underway and the first summonses have already been sent to the persons involved in the case file. The prosecuting authorities are investigating whether any violations of the law have been committed in this case. In other words, whether, as alleged, Laskaridis has violated archaeological legislation with regard to the salvage of antiquities from the seabed of Antikythera.

The case relates to events that took place in Antikythera last summer. According to Documento's report, it all happened on the morning of August 12, 2020. The private yacht «Glaros,» which, according to P. Laskaridis, belongs to him and has occasionally contributed to archaeological research, was found in the sea area of Antikythira, where it salvaged a cannon and a stone anchor. However, the process of salvaging the historical objects was carried out without prior notification of the competent authorities, namely the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the Coast Guard, and the case was reported after a formal complaint was filed by a traveler who observed the private boat and photographed the divers as they surfaced with the cannon.

Laskaridis' assumption about the salvage operation

The salvage was admitted by P. Laskaridis himself in a letter to archaeologist and former head of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities Angeliki Simosi on August 17, and it was also communicated to the office of the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni. In the letter, the shipowner admitted that during his trip to the bay of Faros Apolytarais in Antikythira, an «ancient anchor» was salvaged, while pointing out that there appeared to be many «broken ancient amphorae» in the same area. P. Laskaridis also admitted that an old cannon had been salvaged from the port of Potamos in Antikythira.

Both the stone anchor and the iron cannon were transported to Laskaridis's company warehouses in Lavrio. In short, the shipowner admitted to the charges against him. He had salvaged antiquities from the seabed off Antikythera and transported them to his own premises, apparently without having obtained the relevant permit. In fact, in a letter to P. Laskaridis, which was revealed by Documento, the authorities of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities informed him that «the salvage of ancient objects and finds from the seabed is expressly prohibited» under the provisions of laws and joint ministerial decisions. They also stated that «it is prohibited to raise, move, or photograph objects of archaeological or other value found on the seabed,» while «every diver is obliged to immediately inform the competent port authority by any appropriate means if he finds objects of archaeological or police interest or shipwrecks.».

Report also to the Athens Public Prosecutor's Office

In addition to the Piraeus Public Prosecutor's Office, the Athens Public Prosecutor's Office has also been informed of the case since last September. According to sources in the justice system, this means that the two cases will have to be linked. In addition to violations of the relevant legislation, the competent authorities should also investigate whether Laskaridis' actions caused any damage to both the stone anchor and the iron cannon. In this case, we would be dealing with the destruction of cultural heritage.

These risks were highlighted in a press release issued by the Association of Conservators of Antiquities and Works of Art in Higher Education (SSAETE). As specifically stated, «any underwater excavation activity and action to recover antiquities and movable monuments located in an underwater environment by private individuals without a) the permission and presence of the competent Services with specialized personnel (archaeologists, conservators, and craftsmen), b) the provision of specialized equipment and conservation materials, and c) knowledge of excavation practices and techniques for the conservation and transport of objects, poses risks to the preservation of excavation information and the long-term preservation of objects. The same announcement also points out that »the consequence of inappropriate actions is the degradation and partial or total destruction of the object at an uncontrollable rate and, at the same time, the loss of crucial information.«.

Vangelis Triantis