Greek, Roman, Egyptian & Other Antiquities

Bronze Age golden jewellery and a Roman goddess kept in a margarine tub are among the discoveries dug up across the UK.

The London auction calendar in early December offered a busy schedule of antiquities, sculpture and works of art sales running side-by-side with the Old Master series. Overall the sales were relatively well-received with improved selling rates on previous years. Here we select five highlights from the series.

A Roman bronze foot from a monumental statue topped an auction of Antiquities held by Bonhams in London when it sold for a hammer price of £160,000, far in excess of its £10,000-15,000 estimate.

An Assyrian relief unearthed from the royal palace at Nimrud in modern-day Iraq has set the second highest ever price for a piece of ancient art at auction after selling at Christie’s New York.

Workers charged with the demolition of the former Cressoni Theater in Como, Lombardy have unearthed a hoard of 5th century Roman gold coins.

A replica of the largest Roman mosaic to be found in Britain could return home to Gloucestershire where it was made.

A 3000-year-old Assyrian relief unearthed from the royal palace at Nimrud will be offered at Christie’s New York on October 31. It is expected to exceed $10m.

An Egyptian sarcophagus mask of a woman dating back nearly 3000 years is on offer at next month’s TEFAF New York.

Eight Sumerian antiquities seized by the Metropolitan Police from a London dealer in 2003 are to be returned to Iraq after identification by the British Museum.

A Persian limestone relief sculpture is to be returned to Iran, a New York court has ruled.