Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed the largest tomb yet found in the ancient Saqqara necropolis.

One of two tombs found, which were carved out of stone, consists of a vast chamber that branches off into many alcoves. One alcove contained skeletons and pottery, and led to another chamber with a seven-metre-deep (23-foot) well.

“This is the largest tomb in Saqarra,” Hawass told AFP. “It took me two hours to look round all of it.”

At the northern end of the tomb, Hawass said archaeologists found another alcove that contained mummified falcons — symbols of the sky god Horus — and well-preserved pottery.

[Full story] [Photo source]

500 Viking-era silver artifacts have been stolen from an archaeological site on the Baltic island of Gotland.

Two archaeologists employed by Gotland county were dismayed to discover the valuables had vanished when they arrived at a field in Alva in Gotland to follow up on a recent find.

“It’s just as saddening every time it happens because it’s our heritage that disappears,” said Majvor Östergren at the Gotland County Administrative Board.

The methodical thieves dug some 250 holes in a bid to secure as much booty as possible. Östergren estimated that the impostors had made off with 500 silver pieces worth a combined total of 250,000 to 500,000 kronor ($35,000 to $70,000).

The waters surrounding the island of Dominica are littered with colonial wrecks and artifacts. Due to a lack of funds to officially recover historically important pieces, looters have been raiding the ocean floor.

The Archaeology advisor to the Cultural Patrimony Office said the underwater patrimony is being lost “from being stolen” while the country loses an opportunity for not contracting companies specialized in recovering the historically important pieces. “I feel that this subaqueous patrimony is being lost, it’s being diluted, they are stealing it.”

Borrel, speaking in the seminar “Convention on the Protection of the Subaqueous Cultural Patrimony” held in the Museum of Modern Art, said he can cite 20 sackings of ships whose pieces were removed to later sell and were even offered on the Web.

China is sending out teams of experts to other countries to find treasure looted from the Summer Palace.

The teams will be looking for precious items stolen from Beijing’s former Summer Palace nearly 150 years ago.

Chinese experts believe 1.5 million items could have been taken from the site, which was destroyed by British and French troops.

Over recent years, China has become increasingly active in its efforts to raise the issue of stolen treasures.

Six Egyptians have died while hunting for treasure when the floor beneath them collapsed. This isn’t the first time it has happened either.

Early this month, rescue teams spent four days desperately trying to save six Egyptians, who had been trapped in a large hole beneath a house near the Pyramid of Giza while hunting for a centuries-old treasure. The rescuers eventually hauled them up as dead bodies.

The six people were allegedly fooled by a charlatan into believing that there was an antique treasure lying hidden beneath the house owned by one of them, said Abdul Majuid Mahmoud, a resident in the area of Nazlat Al Samman, where the tragedy occurred.