January 19th News

Again, the return of the Euphronios Krater and other issues around smuggled Italian art are the big stories of the day. However, there's lots of news from different perspectives and different stories today.

New stories as of 7:55 AM:

Ancient Vase Comes Home To A Hero's Welcome
The New York Times
ROME — As the restless crowd applauded, and flashbulbs popped, the Euphronios krater, at the heart of a three-decade tug of war between the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Italian government, received a hero’s welcome here on Friday...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/19/arts/design/19bowl.html?ref=world

Ancient Wine Bowl Returned To Italy
The West
A 2,500-year-old wine bowl returned to Italy by the Metropolitan Museum of Art was displayed today in a ceremony, ending a dispute over the circumstances of the artifact’s acquisition nearly four decades ago...
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=182&ContentID=55107

Met Trustee Cedes 10 Objects TO Italy
The New York Sun
The collector Shelby White has agreed to relinquish 10 antiquities that Italy claims were illegally excavated, the New York Times reported on Friday...
http://www.nysun.com/article/69815

Return Of Artifacts By Private Collector Seen As Positive Step
Newsday.com
NEW YORK - A top dealer of classical antiquities on Friday hailed a New York philanthropist's agreement to return 10 ancient objects from her private collection to Italy, saying collectors need to be more transparent about what they own...
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--nyc-lootedantiqui0118jan18,0,7620752.story

New York Collector To Return 'Looted' Antiquities
Telegraph.co.uk
A prominent New York philanthropist and art collector has agreed to return 10 classical antiquities to Italy following claims that they were looted...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/18/wart118.xml

Italy Unveils Returned Euphronius Vase
Associated Press
ROME (AP) — With the return of a long-sought masterpiece of antiquity, Italy on Friday trumpeted one of the successes of its campaign to recover what it says are looted treasures from museums and collectors around the world...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5is_bcmuTOwPCXlYk6aWb_ugCT9RgD8U8GF600
This article has a three image slide-show included of the unveiling of the krater. The first image is particularly spectacular.

Italy Hails Return Of Ancient Vase From New York
Reuters UK
ROME (Reuters) - Italy proudly celebrated the return on Friday of a prized 2,500-year-old vase it says was looted and sold illegally to New York's Metropolitan Museum more than 30 years ago...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL1881034620080118
The Reuters article has a five image slide-show, which opens in a new window at full size. Again there are one or two shots which show the spectacular red-figure art of the vase.

Why The Turin Shroud Is Not Authentic
Spero News
Since it first appeared in Lirey, France, in 1353, the Roman Catholic Church has encouraged the veneration of the Shroud of Turin without saying it is the actual linen sheet Joseph of Arimathea brought to the tomb of Jesus, as reported in Mark 15: 42–47...
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=13749&t=Why+the+Turin+Shroud+is+not+authentic

Ancient Vase Returned To Italy After 26 Years
ABC News
Italy is celebrating the return of a 2,500-year-old vase that was stolen from an archaeological site in 1972...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/19/2142137.htm?section=entertainment

Archaeologists Unearth 2,500-Year-Old Seal At Temple In Jerusalem
Daily India
Jerusalem, Jan 19: Archaeologists have excavated a 2,500 year old stone seal in the First Temple in Jerusalem's city of David, which bears the name of one of the families who acted as servants at the temple...
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/208955.php/Archaeologists-unearth-2500-year-old-seal-at-temple-in-Jerusalem

4,500-Year-Old Tomb Sheds Light On Burial Customs Of Ancient Egypts Middle Class
Thaindian News
Washington, Jan 19 (ANI): Archaeologists have unsealed the burial chamber of a 4,500 year old tomb of an Egyptian official, thus providing a rare insight into the burial customs prevalent among the middle class in ancient Egypt...
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/4500-year-old-tomb-sheds-light-on-burial-customs-of-ancient-egypts-middle-class_10013447.html

Digging Up Roots Of Cambridge Life
Cambridge News
ARCHAEOLOGISTS digging in the grounds of a Cambridge University college have unearthed the first hard evidence the city was occupied during the Bronze Age...
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?id=249874

Rare Middle-Class Tomb Found From Ancient Egypt
National Geographic News
Archaeologists have unsealed the intact burial chamber of an ancient Egyptian official, providing a rare glimpse into the burial customs of the Old Kingdom's middle class...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080118-egypt-tomb.html