vast haul of stolen antiquities, nearly all of which is believed to have been looted by the Medici gang from Etruscan-era and Roman-era archaeological sites in Italy and other locations over a period of at least forty years. Packed inside 45 crates, investigators discovered a vast collection of some 17,000 Greek, Roman and Etruscan artefacts, including two stunning Etruscan terracotta sarcophagi, topped by painted, life-sized reclining figures, hundreds of whole or fragmentary pieces of rare Greek and Roman pottery, statuary and bas-reliefs, fragments of a fresco from Pompeii, and a marble head of Apollo dating from the 1st century BCE, which is thought to have been looted from the Baths of Claudius, near Rome. The trove is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, with the head of Apollo alone valued at £30 million (approximately US$44 million). Symes is alleged to have hidden the objects away at the Freeport warehouse soon after Michaelides' death, in order to conceal them from the executors of his estate and thus keep their huge value out of any settlement. References External links "The Trial in Rome" ~ Archaeology.org The Medici Conspiracy, The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities, From Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums Robin Symes collection of contemporary artist Michael Hafftka resurfaces after 25 years 1939 births English art dealers Living people Archaeological theft