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Monday, March 3, 2008
"Amber Room" Dig Halted
Well, we knew this was coming, didn't we...
From Russia Today
Entertainment
Amber Room replica
February 29, 2008, 19:01
'Amber Room' dig haltedGerman treasure hunters have stopped digging for Russia's lost Amber room and Nazi gold after a disagreement. One of the men, the local mayor, claims scientists should become involved in the excavation to make it more credible. The other says his own measurements are precise enough, but haven't been followed properly.
The Amber room, which some called the 8th wonder of the world, was part of a royal palace in St. Petersburg, looted by the Nazis during WW2.
A notebook found by one of the treasure hunters, which had belonged to the man's father, a former Luftwaffe radio operator, suggested the room might be buried near the village of Deutschneudorf.
My father was a wireless operator and navigator and he had co-ordinates from flight-logbooks which led him exactly to this spot. So we started digging here, right where we suppose the treasure to be,” Christian Hanisch, a treasure hunter said.
The local mayor launched the dig, but progress has been slow, due to fears of booby traps.
Nonetheless the digging cite thought to contain tonnes of Nazi gold immediately attracted attention and raised hopes of finding the legendary treasure. Treasure hunters and journalists were flocking to an archeological site in Deutschneudorf.
However, some are not so optimistic. Boris Igdalov, head of amber workshop, says, "This is no news for us, it happened many times before".
"But I want to stress that if something is found there - not necessarily the Amber room - that'll be great," he adds.
Now, the director of Russia's Hermitage museum, Mikhail Pyotrovsky said the hunt may be in vain, as amber doesn't keep well underground.
“I think 'Amber Room' is a great PR-success of museum people and much bigger then the room itself, even if it does exist. The amber can't stand long-time being under ground, so I think it will never be found. Nowadays a new one is done and it's not a painting of Rubens,” he said.
Rest of article.
director of Russia's Hermitage museum, Mikhail Pyotrovsky said the hunt may be in vain, as amber doesn't keep well underground.
ReplyDeleteWhat an extraordinary thing for a museum director to say! Amber underground stays in pretty good condition for even a thousand or more years. Amber beads appear on Bronze Age sites in Europe from The Netherlands across to Hungary. Lots of it, too, on Mycenaean Greek sites (1400-1100 BC), suggesting a major trade route from the Baltic to Greece at the time.
Judith
Visit Zenobia's blog Empress of the East
Hola Judith,
ReplyDeleteWow - thanks for the insight. I thought that comment by the Hermitage director was rather "hinky", but sometimes it's just easier to let the articles I post here speak for themselves (being lazy, again). Now I'm wondering if there is/was some ulterior motive for Mr. Pyotrovsky making such a statement! One would think that the Russian government and an institution like the Hermitage would be salivating at the prospect of the possibility of recovering the Amber Room or any part of such an historically important icon. What could be behind such a statement? Someone in such a position (direction of an internationally renowned museum) could not possibly claim ignorance - could he? Oh, I don't know, maybe it's nothing. But sure is suspicious.
The thought had passed my mind, too: could there be any reason that they don't want digging to continue? But then I dismissed it, as every archaeologist would know he's talking nonsense. So I guess his remarks are directed to non-archaeologists, probably Russians, and perhaps best seen as a political statement (part of an internal museum battle?).
ReplyDelete