You never know where these things are going to go: "The Silvio Berlusconi tapes released this week have focused, not surprisingly, on lurid discussions of threesomes, condoms and staying power. But today Italy's prime minister was facing the bizarre possibility that the most explosive secret in the recordings was neither sexual nor financial, but archaeological."

Turns out that in one of the tapes, recorded without Berlusconi's knowledge by escort Patrizia D'Addario-who got a good hard pounding from the Italian Prime Minister, but no payment-features Silvio boasting about a series of Phoenician tombs discovered on his Sardianian estate. And that's where things get interesting.

Under Italian law archaeological discoveries made on private property must be reported to authorities for inspection, cataloguing and possible excavation.

Italian newspapers reported on Friday that cultural heritage authorities in Sardinia knew nothing about the sites, which archaeologists said would be a major find if confirmed.

The opposition Democratic Party demanded that either Berlusconi or Culture Minister Sandro Bondi address parliament on the purported find and why it was not reported.

Failure to make such reports could, in fact, land someone in prison for up to a year. But with the opposition in disarray, no logical successor, and a long history of successfully delaying prosecution until the statutes of limitations run out, it probably won't be Berlusconi. The only thing that can bring him down is the recession. Or maybe a heart attack. Guy gets a lot of tail for someone his age.