Police said yesterday they had seized about 37 stolen artifacts from homes in Athens and on the Aegean islet of Schoinoussa in what authorities estimate to be one of the most important cases of its kind in recent years.

Police said the owner of the two homes was a woman from a wealthy shipping family who lives abroad.

Seven of the artifacts were found in her Athens home in Neo Psychico while the remaining items were uncovered on Schoinoussa, which lies south of Naxos. A team of experts have traveled to the islet to assess the artifacts, which are believed to be of considerable archaeological value.

Among the items found so far are two ancient marble statuettes, three marble column capitals as well as a crate which appears to contain a disassembled Byzantine church.