Attempt to smuggle 7,000-Year-Old Trypillian vase from Ukraine to Switzerland foiled

 Kyiv customs officials discovered a Trypillian vase approximately 7,000 years old in a postal shipment that was being sent to Switzerland. This was reported by the State Customs Service of Ukraine.

Attempt to smuggle 7,000-Year-Old Trypillian vase from Ukraine to Switzerland foiled

According to the report, a resident of the Kyiv region attempted to send the international postal shipment to Switzerland. The accompanying documents stated that the package contained clothing and a gift.

However, during customs control, Kyiv specialists discovered a "ceramic artifact with obvious signs of antiquity." It was sent for examination to the National Museum of History of Ukraine.

"Experts determined that the item presented for examination is a painted vessel on a stand. Similar artifacts are characteristic of the Cucuteni-Trypillia cultural community of the Eneolithic era. The specifics of the morphology and the features of the decoration suggest that the vessel dates back to the mid-5th millennium BCE. Vases with similar form and decoration originate from settlements in the Dniester valley," the customs officials reported.

According to the examination, the upper decoration of the vase features a complex design of stylized snakes, while the lower part shows semi-oval arcs. The vase consists of glued ceramic fragments, with its authenticity supported by the level of preservation and the analogies of its form and decoration.

"Despite the modern intervention, the vase retains an authentic component that is of archaeological significance and has cultural value. According to current Ukrainian legislation, permits are required for the export of cultural valuables abroad. Such documents were not provided to the customs officials," the report states.

Regarding the sender, Kyiv customs has drawn up a protocol for a violation of customs regulations under Article 473 of the Customs Code of Ukraine.