Antiquities Thieves Strike Again

Or even worse - fanatical Muslims out to destroy anything that isn't "islamic?" I don't know. Perhaps it's both. What I do know is that lots of money can be made on the illegal antiquities market for finds of this stature. The article is presented as I found it online. The English isn't the best, but it's clear enough to report what happened: From sabanews.net (Yemen News) Unknown persons destroy ancient bronze coffin discovered recently [17 January 2008] IBB, Jan. 17 (Saba) - Unknown persons devastated early morning on Thursday an ancient bronze coffin and stole another one completely were in an archaeological location in al-Asibia area in Dhefar valley of Ibb province. The director general of Antiques and Cultural Properties Protection in the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums Hesham al-Thawr held the director general of the security office in the al-Saddah district responsible for destroying the location and disinterring the bronze coffin. Al-Thawr said that the security official has ordered the military patrols, which have been guarding the area for five days, to leave the location mentioning no reasons for such action that gave those devastators a chance to do their crime. Worth mentioning, the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums has announced that the excavation operations at al-Asibia area discovered last Wednesday a stone grave and bronze coffin in a marble-walled room dating back to the Sheba era. The characteristics of the coffin indicate to a royal one belongs to a king from the Sheba kingdom. TD/AF Saba