Antiquities hoard found in central Athens basement

An illegally acquired hoard of antiquities, including objects from the Geometric (1100-750 BC) to the Hellenistic (up to 31 BC) periods and 3,247 coins, has been discovered in the basement of a commercial property in central Athens, the Culture Ministry has announced.

The artefacts were found in the Alexandros Soutsos Mansion, located at the corner of 33 Stadiou and 3 Pesmazoglou streets, in a property owned by the National Gallery of Greece that was leased as a shop until recently. They were stashed in an underground space that could only be accessed through a trapdoor on the ground floor.

They were wrapped in newspapers dating from the 1940s, when the property was leased and used as a store selling jewelry, watches and works of art.

The antiquities were discovered in February during the process of serving court eviction orders on the former tenants of the...