2,500-Year-Old Gold Helmet Stolen In Netherlands-Report
Report has said thieves blowed up Drents Museum door in Assen, the Netherlands and stole ancient artifacts, including the gold Helmet of Cotofenesti, which dates from around 450 BC,
The Dutch police report said “Thieves have stolen four ancient artifacts, including an approximately 2,500-year-old gold helmet, after using explosives to break into a museum in the Netherlands.”
The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Dutch police, who said they received a report of an explosion at 3:45 a.m. local time.
Furthermore, CCTV footage released by police shows the suspects opening an exterior door before a blast sends sparks and smoke into the air. The thieves made off with three gold bracelets, dating from around 50 BC, as well as the 5th-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti, a historically important artifact on loan from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest.
The items were part of an exhibition about the Dacians, an ancient society that occupied much of present-day Romania before being conquered by the Romans. On show since July, “Dacia: Empire of Gold and Silver” featured treasures borrowed from institutions across Romania.
In a press release on its website, Drents Museum described the Helmet of Cotofenesti which was discovered in a Romanian village almost a century ago as a “masterpiece.” Its design features mythological scenes and a pair of eyes, located above the wearers’, that were thought to deter enemies during battle while protecting against the “evil eye.”
The exhibition was set to conclude Sunday, though Drents Museum remained closed through the weekend due to the robbery. Its premises were damaged by the explosion, though no injuries were reported, the museum said.
In a press statement, Drents Museum’s general director Harry Tupan, described the incident as a “dark day” — both for his institution and the National History Museum of Romania.
“We are intensely shocked by the events last night at the museum,” he added. “In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident. It also gives us enormous sadness towards our colleagues in Romania.”
