A marble relief from the ancient city of Pompeii, believed to have been stolen, has been found in Belgium. This piece, dating back to around 62 AD, intricately portrays the devastating earthquake that befell Pompeii in the same year, capturing a moment of history, with the city’s gates crumbling.
Rediscovery in Belgium: A Pompeian Marble Relief Unearthed
The discovery was made in Herzele, East Flanders, at the home of Raphael De Temmerman and his son, Geert De Temmerman, who recounted the story of the artifact’s journey into their family’s possession.
During a 1975 holiday in Italy, they acquired the marble relief from an unidentified individual near Pompeii, installing it in their home as a decorative piece, unaware of its historical value.
The family’s recent plan to sell their house led to curiosity about the marble’s worth, prompting them to consult experts. This brought them to the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, where the piece’s true origin was astonishingly revealed.
The full-length marble relief, which depicts the Pompeii earthquake. (de Temmermans/ArchaeologyMag)
A Connection to Pompeii’s Past
Bart Demarsin, head of exhibitions at the museum, identified the artifact as a matching piece to another depiction of the Pompeii earthquake. Both were part of a Pompeian banker’s house over two thousand years ago.
Geert De Temmerman described the moment when the relief was authenticated:
“When they started shining a flashlight on it, I heard them exclaim, ‘Yes, it’s genuine,’ and they…
