They had become good friends, although it became apparent that he dealt in the shadowy world of illegal antiquities.

According to a later police report, he also continued to deal in illegal antiquities and solicited excavation of sites in Oregon and Nevada.

But Italian investigators say they have traced nine Levy-White works to an art dealer convicted in Rome in 2004 of trafficking in illegal antiquities.

But Italian investigators now say they have photographs and documents tracing nine Levy-White works to an art dealer convicted in 2004 of trafficking in illegal antiquities.

"We have a policy against illegal antiquities on our site; we don't want them there," Hani Durzy, an eBay spokesman, said by telephone from San Jose, Calif.

The request was denied around the time that Ms. True was indicted on charges of buying illegal antiquities, according to Italian investigators.

How early, we don't know because of the destruction of the site in the 20th century and subsequent looting to find pieces for the thriving illegal antiquities market.

Radcliffe, have you heard anything more about the recent flood of illegal antiquities?

It was one of two natural career paths, the second being the illegal antiquities market.

As a result of this exposé, Sotheby's commissioned their own report into illegal antiquities, and made assurances that only legal items with published provenance would be traded in the future.