Since time immemorial there have been thieves, people who took advantage of the riches of others and stole their most precious assets. In ancient civilizations, it was believed that death was a journey to the afterlife so important people were buried with much riches. Throughout history, many have been tomb robbers who sought to get rich at the expense of subtract invaluable objects .
In ancient times, tombs of pharaohs were desecrated but it was a much more complicated task due to the security they had. In recent centuries, the theft of precious objects was very numerous, especially at the beginning of the twentieth century due to the fever of Egyptology and the famous finds that took place at that time. Currently, this is a market that moves millions and thieves have specialized with cutting-edge technology. If you want to know how tomb robbers acted and objects that can never be recovered, this article is made to your needs. Uncover them!
Tomb raiders | 5 facts and things that took
1. One of the most famous and current robberies happened near Luxor in the first years of the 21st century, the tomb in question was that of one of the most outstanding noblemen of the pharaoh Akhenaten . From it the mummy of a child was extracted, in addition to many halajas or relics of immense value. The experts and archaeologists who usually visit these tombs, think that it could be some inhabitant of the nearby towns. The "modus operandi" was also quite clear, since the tomb robbers made a subsequent tunnel to enter the consecrated enclosure.
2. The next case we are going to talk about is not so much the value of the stolen goods but the protagonist of the looting. The famous French actor Gérard Depardieu he confessed recently that during his youth he helped professional grave robbers to perform their dubious work. Surely this news has been shocking, but the actor explained that it was very easy to desecrate tombs to strip the deceased of all their jewels and valuables. Not all grave robbers have stolen invaluable objects in priceless Egyptian halls, but most are dedicated to looting common cemeteries.
3. It is very difficult to document objects stolen in tombs, since in some there were so many that one knows about the assault even though it is not clear what they have taken. The next looting that we are going to document happened in Mexico, its sad protagonist was María Félix She was a great Mexican diva and actress who died in 2002. Of all the objects that the tomb robbers managed to extract, there are numerous gold candelabra, a bust of the diva with precious stones and numerous paintings with an unparalleled sentimental value. The fans and relatives criticized the scant security of the crypt, since the thieves had it very easy to enter it.
4. The Funerary complex of Saqqara , which is 25 kilometers south of Cairo, was recently looted. Although the exact number of stolen objects is unknown, it is known that it was an armed and prepared command that stole numerous reliefs from this complex. This location has been outraged throughout history, and at the beginning of the twentieth century a large limestone relief was stolen by tomb robbers, but fortunately it was identified and located to take it back to its place of origin.
5. The cemetery of the Almudena in Madrid he also did not get rid of the grave robbers, since in total the theft of more than 400 copper vases has been recorded. These events occurred in a very specific section of the cemetery and the "modus operandi" is very simple, since the thieves only used a mallet and hit the gravestone with great power so that it would yield. These stolen items are easier to sell in a hypothetical black market, since they are more common and are not so rare. Coincidentally, in this area of Madrid there have been many simultaneous robberies, in the same day.
As you will have seen after reading this article about grave robbers, they have existed throughout history and the stolen objects will never be known for sure. Now, as always we would love to leave us your comments so we can appreciate the points that you liked the most and those that leave you in doubt. Did you think there were tomb robbers today? What do you think of this office so frowned upon? Did you think that there were really organized bands that were dedicated to this? Answer these questions and do not hesitate to write us. Cheer up!