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Tuesday, 21st July 2009 (1012 views)

An ancient gold vial that has been laid claim to by a German auctioneer and the Iraqi government has been sent for valuation.

According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), a German court has ordered the item to be sent to a valuer, representing a setback for the government of Iraq.

Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, an auction company based in Munich, said that it believes the vial is of Roman origin, which means it can go back on sale.

However, the Roman and Germanic Museum in Mainz stated that the vial is in fact 4,500 years old and has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia.

Michael Mueller-Karpe of the museum said the vial may have been looted from an Iraqi royal grave, according to a 3sat television report cited by DPA.

The item was seized four years ago before it could be sold at auction.

Mesopotamia is situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which run through Iraq.

A number of gold items from the region are currently on display at museums around the world

For example, a gold bowl found in the Queen's Grave at the Royal Cemetery in Ur, southern Iraq, is on show at the British Museum, while gold pendants and beads dating from the period between the 17th and 16th centuries BC can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

 

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