Rare Hittite seal seized by Turkish police

A 3,600-year-old Hittite-era seal has been found in a box during a police operation held in the Central Turkish province of Çorum. The seal was one of two of its kind in the world.

The Hieroglyphic Hittite seal [Credit: AA]

Teams from the anti-smuggling and organized crime branch were ordered to carry out an operation in pursuit of a man who would transport historical artifacts from Ankara to Çorum.

The car was stopped at the entrance of the city and the teams found a semicircular seal in a box as well as two coins and a 10-centimeter-long iron object.

The man was taken into custody and set free after his testimony. The seal and other artifacts were delivered to the Çorum Museum Directorate.

Examinations revealed the seal was one of only two in the world.

The other seal was reported to have been smuggled from Çorum to the U.S. and put on display at a museum.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [December 18, 2015]