The maximum penalty for the offence is death by hanging but the court decided on a lesser sentence for James Fitton, 66, "because of the advanced age of the accused," the judge said.

The court found "insufficient evidence" to convict co-accused Volker Waldmann, 60, who was visiting Iraq with Fitton on an organised tour when they were arrested in March at Baghdad airport.

Fitton's lawyer said that he would appeal.

When the judge asked the men, dressed in yellow prisoners' clothing, whether they were guilty or not guilty "of trafficking antiquities," each replied: "Not guilty."

They were charged under a 2002 law against "intentionally taking or trying to take out of Iraq an antiquity".

According to statements from customs officers and witnesses, Fitton's baggage contained about a dozen stone fragments, pieces of pottery or ceramics.

Waldmann allegedly had two pieces, but at the trial's opening on May 15 denied they were his.

When the judge asked Fitton why he tried to take the artefacts out of Iraq, he cited his "hobby" and said he did not mean to do anything illegal.

Their trial comes at a time the war-ravaged country, whose tourism infrastructure is almost non-existent, is timidly opening to visitors.

Iraq has also been trying to recover antiquities that were looted over a period of decades from the country whose civilisation dates back thousands of years.