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An investigation by the Civil Guard followed an intervention by the Gata de Gorgos Local Police after a report of a burglary. The municipality allowed the intervention. The case revealed a large illegal private collection of archaeological remains and a substantial archive of material and human-sourced documents spanning about 50 years of looting at archaeological sites in Marina Alta, Albacete, Jaén, and other locations. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Agents intercepted more than five hundred archaeological remains, including 350 items of material origin and nearly 200 skeletal remains dating back thousands of years. A resident of Gata de Gorgos and another from Dénia were investigated for aggravated embezzlement of property of historical, cultural or scientific value. (Source: Guardia Civil)

bone remains

The investigation began last November when agents learned from the Gata de Gorgos Local Police that ancient bone fragments were present in a house in that town. These remains had been found during a burglary report, and Civil Guard investigators were alerted to determine whether they were related to a homicide. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Remains captured in Dénia and Gata. (Source: Guardia Civil)

However, that possibility was ruled out. Thanks to the collaboration of an archaeologist from the Xàbia Town Hall, the skeletal remains found in the Gata de Gorgos house were dated to between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Cooperation was requested from the Technical Inspectorate of the Generalitat Ministry of Culture for cataloging and detecting the archaeological artifacts discovered in Gata. It was determined that the collection had been smuggled, as there were no documents proving its possession. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Remains captured at Gata and Dénia. (Source: Guardia Civil)

The owner of these relics cooperated with the Civil Guard and admitted that a deceased resident of Dénia had provided them. This clue led to the discovery of a larger collection of archaeological fragments in a house in Dénia. When the Civil Guard entered the residence and obtained a search warrant, they found a large volume of archaeological and paleontological artifacts inside. (Source: Guardia Civil)

The pieces are reportedly inherited by the current resident of a deceased relative’s home, but there is no documentation to validate possession, nor any steps taken to register them. In this context, the Alicante Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports was involved. (Source: Guardia Civil)

loot notebooks

Among the seized objects and documents, investigators found numerous notebooks, all handwritten by the deceased relative. They describe the exact locations of the intervened parts. Generalitat technicians attach greater importance to these documents because they provide a registry of items and help establish origin, context, and potential connections to other looted sites. The looting of archaeological sites in Marina Alta persisted for nearly half a century, and the same author was known as a looting suspect alongside others. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Among the items seized in this house, the Civil Guard highlights the following:

• Five amphorae of Betic, Phoenician and Punic origin.
• Five mills from the Bronze Age and Neolithic.
• Five weights of a loom from ancient Roman times.
• A human skull.
• An 18th-century iron grenade and various cannonballs.
• More than 1,000 tesserae forming mosaics from Roman times.
• Various ammonite and nautilus fossils.
• Ceramic material from the Bronze Age to the mid-20th century.
• Various Roman ointments.
• Paleolithic flint tools.
• Half sword from the 12th century.
• Archaeological fauna and malacofauna.
• Roman lateritic material and numerous fossils.

Expert work can help determine the date, origin and context of these parts, thereby increasing their value and possibly guiding the discovery of new archaeological sites. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Remains captured in Dénia and Gata. (Source: Guardia Civil)

The sheer volume of archaeological and paleontological fragments required the involvement and cooperation of specialists. The Dénia Archaeological Museum, part of the City Council’s Sociocultural Area, provided a suitable place for preservation and storage. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Collectors

The Civil Guard investigated the two owners of these illegal private collections for alleged aggravated embezzlement of property of artistic, historical, cultural or scientific value. Both cases were reported to the Court of First Instance and to Dénia’s relevant authorities. (Source: Guardia Civil)

Captured map showing the marked loot. (Source: Guardia Civil)

This operation, named “Operation Cemetery,” was conducted by the Regional Team of the Judicial Police of the Xàbia Civil Guard under the Plan of Defense of Spanish Historical Heritage. (Source: Guardia Civil)