Dutch Boy Paints Himself into Corner Stealing Pompeii Artifact to Buy iPhone
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — An unidentified young Dutch tourist is in hot water at home, after he swiped a tile from a roof in historic Pompeii, reportedly to eBay it for cash for an iPhone. According to a report in the Italian language newspaper Il Mattino, the young man’s plans hit a snag after an American tourist told security the youngster had swiped the ancient item and attempted to smuggle it away in a backpack.
The item was confiscated, and the boy left to his apparently angry mother.
The would-be international incident would have been all for naught, according to a Roman antiquities expert contacted by The Local. “A simple terracotta tile actually has a very low value, we don’t even trade them,” Carole Elena explained, noting the value would be under 500 bucks at best — not enough for a top of the line iPhone.
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