9 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

2000-year-old Genuine Pompeii marble relief installed in a wall lining the staircase leading down to the basement in a Belgium home

An important marble relief depicting the earthquake of 62 AD, stolen from the ruins of ancient Pompeii in Italy in 1975, was found in a family home in the quiet village of Herzele in Belgium’s East Flanders region.

For 50 years, the ancient marble artifact has been installed in a wall lining the staircase leading down to the basement. The homeowner’s son, Geert de Temmerman, explained that the mini monument had been brought back from Pompeii as a souvenir five decades ago.

On a family vacation to Italy, Geert de Temmerman’s father was offered the artwork by an anonymous man who fled the scene as soon as the deal was over. Not realizing the importance of the object, the family installed it in their house as a decorative feature.

Curiosity about the marble’s worth prompted the family to seek professional assistance as they prepared to sell their home. The Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren (Limburg) experts were astounded to discover its authenticity.

The marble relief sculpture, which dates from around 62 C.E., is a narrow strip depicting an earthquake that occurred that same year. Most notably, it depicts the Pompeii gates collapsing. The marble relief had been stolen on July 14th, 1975, from the house of banker L. Caecilius Iucundus where it originally hung above the atrium altar.

A precious treasure from ancient Pompeii, Italy, that depicts the earthquake of 62 A.D. was recovered from a family’s basement in Belgium. Credit: Des Temmermans

The head of exhibitions at the Gallo-Roman Museum, Bart Demarsin, confirmed that the relief matched another piece depicting the same earthquake.

“It closely corresponds to the original piece that we recognize from the photos,” confirmed Bart Demarsin, the museum’s head of exhibitions, speaking to VRT NWS. “That piece corresponds to a similar piece, which also depicts buildings that collapsed during that earthquake.”

The marble will undergo further research to confirm its authenticity, after which it can be reunited with its companion piece in Pompeii’s Antiquarium.

“It’s the cultural heritage from Pompeii, and it belongs there,” said An Christiaens, deputy mayor of culture for the local city of Tongeren.

Local police opened an investigation into how this pilfered treasure ended up in a Belgian home after the artifact was identified. Meanwhile, the family expressed hope for potential compensation, citing the long-term preservation of the artifact.

Cover Photo: Des Temmermans

Related Articles

Ancient Library With Unparalleled Architecture Found in Stratonikeia, Marble City of Gladiators

24 June 2025

24 June 2025

An ancient marvel, unique in design and history, is being unearthed in the heart of southwest Türkiye. Archaeologists working in...

A 2,000-year-old whistle was found in a child’s grave in the ruins of Assos, Turkey

18 October 2022

18 October 2022

A terracotta whistle believed to be 2,000 years old from the Roman era and placed as a gift in a...

Magnificent Discovery: A Major Tomb Filled with Gold and Ceramic Artifacts was Discovered in Panama

3 March 2024

3 March 2024

In an archaeological find in the El Caño Archaeological Park, located in the district of Natá, province of Coclé, in...

World’s Oldest Place Name Signs

4 February 2021

4 February 2021

Throughout the history of the world, our interest and curiosity in ancient cultures and lives continue to increase day by...

500-year-old Ottoman bath revived after years of restoration

5 April 2024

5 April 2024

The 500-year-old Zeyrek Çinili Hammam, a masterpiece of Mimar Sinan and one of the most important examples of Ottoman Bath...

A Large Copper Age Necropolis Discovered in Italian Town

16 February 2024

16 February 2024

In the town of San Giorgio Bigarello, near the northern Italia city of Mantua, a large Copper Age necropolis dating...

1,500-year-old baptistery found in Kadı Castle-Anaia Mound in western Turkey

3 December 2021

3 December 2021

A baptistery, estimated to have been built in the 5th century AD, was unearthed in the Kadı Castle-Anaia Mound in...

2,300 Years Old First Complete Ancient Celtic Village and Roman Settlement Discovered in Munich

22 October 2023

22 October 2023

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Celtic village and evidence of a smaller Roman settlement in Munich, Germany. The 2,300-year-old Celtic...

New Study reveals how England’s ‘White Queen’ worshipped a disembowelled saint at the Chapel of St Erasmus

5 December 2022

5 December 2022

A new study reveals the story of how England’s “White Queen”, Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV, once worshipped at...

Archaeologist Reconstructs 2,000-Year-Old Roman Frescoes from Thousands of Fragments in ‘World’s Toughest Jigsaw’

19 June 2025

19 June 2025

What started as a pile of broken plaster fragments has become one of the most remarkable reconstruction projects in British...

A 4000-Year-Old Trading Port was Discovered in Istanbul

4 May 2021

4 May 2021

Archaeological excavations carried out on a peninsula in the middle of Istanbul Küçükçekmece Lake unearthed a very important 4,000-year-old trade...

‘Proof of biblical kings’, Israel deciphers 8th century BC Hezekiah inscription after a decade of research

17 December 2022

17 December 2022

Israeli archeologists have deciphered an 8th-century BC inscription discovered on a palm-sized stone tablet after a decade of research.  The...

Theater of Perinthos Ancient City to be unearthed

9 August 2021

9 August 2021

The theater area in the Ancient City of Perinthos, whose history dates back to 600 BC, will be unearthed during...

2000-years-old Hercules Rock Relief is being Vandalized

17 February 2024

17 February 2024

The 2000-year-old Hercules Rock Relief, located in Deliktaş, approximately 2.5 kilometers northeast of the Iznik district center of Bursa, is...

Poseidon’s Trident Discovered in Lake İznik

4 May 2025

4 May 2025

The depths of Lake İznik have yielded a discovery of profound significance, instantly captivating historians and archaeologists. The recent recovery...