MORE than 1,000 archaeological artefacts have been found in a private home in the Valencia town of Guadassuar during a drug trafficking raid.
The archaeological remains discovered by Guardia Civil officers included ceramics, such as tiles, pots and bowls, some dating from the Roman era as well as the 12th and 18th centuries, according to Cadena Ser radio.
It was reported that some of the pieces were lying on work tables waiting for classification and restoration, while others were already restored and displayed in different areas of the house.
As some of the pieces could have been obtained through other types of crimes, such as crimes against historical heritage, the officers in charge stopped the search to request an extension of their warrant, in order to continue with the investigation of these new crimes.
A 68-year-old man has been arrested for crimes against historical heritage, against public health – drug trafficking – and illegal possession of weapons, as during the search the agents seized a shotgun and a rifle without the required documentation.
In addition 13 beehives were also found during the search, some of them with their numbers erased and with bees inside. Eleven of these hives had been stolen in the town of Buenache de la Sierra (Cuenca) and the other two in Guadassuar (Valencia).
The archaeological remains have been handed over to the Alzira Municipal Museum, where the discovery has been valued as being of great cultural and economic interest, with some pieces believed to date back to the Roman age, while others are thought to be from the 12th and 18th centuries.
The case has been passed to Alzira’s Court of First Instance, the Spanish equivalent of the Magistrate’s Court.
The Valencia Report 