And the Superintendence clarified: the alleged “eye” of one of the Riace Bronzes, as hypothesized during a press conference in Riace? It is an attribution, albeit hypothetical, for the moment completely “improper and premature”. The Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria and Vibo Valentia, regarding the finds found in the sea by Giuseppe Braghò in the Riace area last August 1st – one of which had been hypothesized in a press conference held in recent days in Riace, that it was the eye of a statue, and that it could be referable to one of the Bronzes – he clarifies in a note that his task is «in constant collaboration with the Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Cosenza and of the Messina Underwater Unit, verify each of the reports received and act accordingly with the most suitable protection and conservation activities for the protection of contexts and finds of archaeological interest”. The 9 artefacts found on the seabed in front of the Riace marina were recovered and transferred to the deposits of the Archaeological Museum of Medma-Rosarno «where they were appraised by the archaeologist official responsible for the underwater sector».
The Superintendence is carrying out «the technical checks, the in-depth analysis of the case and the inspection necessary to answer the questions and doubts about the provenance and context of discovery of the finds». “A top-level university laboratory” will take care of it, and it has been «the institutional inspection of the Riace seabed» has been scheduled, which will take place in the next few daysconducted by the official underwater archaeologist of the Superintendence with the technical operational support of the Carabinieri underwater unit of Messina and the presence of the Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Cosenza.
