PERUGIA, ITALY—Police from Italy’s art theft squad recently recovered 21 Etruscan urns that were carved from travertine for the wealthy Cacni family more than 2,000 years ago. The urns were allegedly removed from a tomb by local people building a garage, who then destroyed all evidence of the site and built over it. Authorities say that the colors and gold decoration on the urns have faded away because of the lack of proper care and conservation. The urns date to the period of transition to Roman rule. “From a historical point of view they are important,” said Gabriele Cifani of the University of Tor Vergata in Rome.