NYN | News
Yemeni antiquities are facing systematic smuggling and forgery operations, revealing weak oversight and posing serious challenges for authorities responsible for protecting the nation’s cultural heritage.
Among the most notable of these cases is the story of a rare bronze Yemeni tablet inscribed with an ancient religious confession. The artifact appeared in international auctions mislabeled as a “Roman military certificate,” sparking wide debate among researchers and experts.
According to researcher Abdullah Mohsen, the tablet bears an inscription in the ancient South Arabian Musnad script. It was offered by a woman named Qalaf bint Malat to the god Dhū-Samāwī, in which she confesses her sin after unexpectedly menstruating inside the temple of Adhnan. She repented, prayed, and vowed not to repeat the transgression.
The inscription was studied by Professor Ibrahim al-Salawi, who received a transcription of it from researcher Khalil al-Zubayri, the person who discovered it in Al-Jawf Governorate.
Despite its historical and religious significance, the tablet has appeared in several international auctions in multiple versions, raising suspicions of forgery and smuggling.
In April of this year, the General Authority for Antiquities in Sana’a published a photo of the artifact, identifying it as the well-known “Al-Salawi 3” inscription. However, the Lyon & Turnbull auction house displayed different images of the same piece, prompting Dr. Salah al-Husseini to question the authenticity of the version being offered for sale.
Expert Abdullah Mohsen revealed the existence of three identical copies of the tablet, reinforcing the theory of forgery.
The first version appeared in the Artemis auction in 2018, mistakenly described as a “Roman certificate written in Aramaic.”
The second version surfaced in 2012 on the Sadiq Gallery website, which later admitted to selling thousands of counterfeit artifacts.
The third version is reportedly scheduled for auction in Edinburgh in November 2025, described as a “votive plaque from Saba,” though it differs in appearance and shows no signs of corrosion.
The existence of these multiple versions—none of which were seen before 2005—places Yemen’s Ministry of Cultureand the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums before a serious challenge: to recover these stolen Yemeni artifacts and protect them from falsification and loss.
