but ran afoul of police when he tried to sell the ancient hoard
Yes, I know it is nice for posterity and all, but WHOSE land is it? Apparently NOT his...
Just the topsoil, I guess.
Italy, like many countries with an ancient culture, is filled with treasure troves of buried artifacts. A good friend of mine encountered a similar situation 40 years ago when he stumbled upon an Etruscan burial vault. One of his friends tried to sell the items but was caught. Italian law mandates that any ancient artefacts be reported to the Belle Arte. The big problem occurs when the artefacts are found inside one's home ;-)