Egyptian authorities have arrested two men for attempting to steal hundreds of ancient artifacts from the bottom of the sea, the country’s interior ministry said in a Monday statement.
The men took the artifacts from the sea floor of Abu Qir Bay, near the port city of Alexandria, the ministry said. When confronted by authorities, the men said that had planned to traffic the items, according to the ministry. The men obtained all of the antiquities by diving to the bottom of the sea, it said.
Some 448 objects were taken by the men, the ministry statement said, including 305 coins, 53 statues, 41 axes, 14 bronze cups, 12 spears, and three statue heads.
The items date back to Greek and Roman Antiquity, a period that lasted about 900 years, from around 500 BCE to 400 CE.
Photographs released by Egypt’s interior ministry show the items after they were seized.
The artifacts, turned turquoise by layers of patina, depict objects and people from the era they are from. Some statues depict ancient soldiers in uniform, while others appear to be people draped in fabric.
The coins are also intricately carved, featuring depictions of animals including lions, elephants, turtles, dolphins, and scorpions. Two coins appear to show the immortal winged horse Pegasus from Greek mythology.