A seven-thousand-year-old Trypillia vase was to be taken from Ukraine to Switzerland (photo)
1 August 2024 10:29
Kyiv customs officers have discovered and seized an ancient Trypillian vase that was attempted to be illegally exported from Ukraine to Switzerland. The artefact is about 7,000 years old, according to "Komersant Ukrainian" reports with reference to the State Customs Service.
Thus, during the inspection of an international postal item, customs officers found a ceramic product with signs of antiquity. According to the accompanying documents, the parcel, sent by a resident of Kyiv region, was supposed to contain clothes and a gift.
An examination by experts from the National Museum of History of Ukraine confirmed that the find was a painted vessel on a pallet, typical of the Kukutenyi-Trypillia cultural community of the Eneolithic period. Experts date the vase to the middle of the fifth millennium BC, noting that similar products come from settlements in the Dniester Valley.
The vase has a complex ornamentation: the upper part is decorated with stylised images of snakes, the lower part with semi-oval arcs. Despite the fact that the product consists of glued fragments, it has retained its authenticity and has significant cultural value, according to customs officials.
According to Ukrainian law, the export of cultural property abroad requires special permits, which the sender did not have. Kyiv Customs drew up a report on violation of customs rules under Article 473 of the Customs Code of Ukraine. The vase was confiscated under this article.
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