The Golden Spiral: and the Looting of 2,000 Year-Old Transylvanian Treasure

This fast-paced book describes the looting, police investigations and recovery of mysterious 2,000 year-old golden artifacts from a royal Dacian site in Transylvania (Romania). Covering a 20-year period and $50 million in looted objects, it focuses on 24 rare massive golden bracelets sold into illicit antiquarian markets in Europe and the United States. Based on numerous interviews, access to police files in Romania, and research, the author opens a unique window into the world of illicit trading of cultural artifacts: the looters, the traders, the collectors, the experts, the laws, and the police investigators.