The British Museum said Wednesday that a member of its staff has been dismissed after items dating back as far as the 15th century B.C. were found to be missing, stolen or damaged.
The museum said it has also ordered an independent review of security and a ‘‘vigorous program to recover the missing items.″
The stolen artifacts include gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D. Most were small items kept in a storeroom and none had been on display recently, the museum said.
“Our priority is now threefold: first, to recover the stolen items; second, to find out what, if anything, could have been done to stop this; and third, to do whatever it takes, with investment in security and collection records, to make sure this doesn’t happen again,″ said George Osborne, the museum’s chair.
“This incident only reinforces the case for the reimagination of the museum we have embarked upon," Osborne said.
The museum said legal action would be taken against the dismissed staff member and that the matter was under investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police Service.
The 264-year-old British Museum is a major London tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world who come to see a vast collection of artifacts ranging from the Rosetta Stone that unlocked the language of ancient Egypt to scrolls bearing 12th century Chinese poetry and masks created by the indigenous people of Canada.
But the museum has also attracted controversy because it has resisted calls from communities around the world to return items of historical significance that were acquired during the era of the British Empire. The most famous of these disputes include marble carvings from the Parthenon in Greece and the Benin bronzes from west Africa.
Hartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum, apologized and said the institution was determined to put things right.
“This is a highly unusual incident,'' said Fischer said. “I know I speak for all colleagues when I say that we take the safeguarding of all the items in our care extremely seriously.''
Sheila Goffe, VP of Government Relations of the American Kennel Club, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss the efficacy of police, military, and other working dogs, and how they're trained.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Sheila Goffe, VP of Government Relations of the American Kennel Club, discusses the efficacy of police, military, and other working dogs, and how they're trained. Paul Mundell, Executive Director of the American Service Dog Access Coalition, breaks down why emotional support, therapy, and service dogs are important; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Secrets of a Dog's Nose.'
On this episode of ChedHER; Amanda Carlson Phillips, Senior Vice President of Exos' performance team, breaks down how wellness programs can fight burnout; Deena LaMarque Piquion, Chief Marketing Officer at Xerox, explains why and how women should stop saying 'sorry' so often;
Marylyn Harris, President of Harrland Healthcare Consulting, talks about how her experience in the military prepared her for a cybersecurity career, and how she's paving the way for women of color in the industry.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Atom Limbs CEO breaks down how the Atom Touch prosthetic is different from other prosthetics on the market; CEO & Chief Scientific Officer of MyMD explains how the MYMD-1 is on track to be the first FDA-approved drug to treat aging and age-related diseases; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Future of Warfare.'
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals Clay Routledge, Professor of Business and author of "Nostalgia: A Psychological Resource", discusses the psychology of nostalgia: why we have it, and why it may be good for our mental health; Patrick Metzger, Writer and Technologist, breaks down how nostalgia has influenced pop culture, why it remains in a trend loop for every generation, and why that trend is likely never going to end; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Year That Rocked the World.'
On this episode of ChedHER: CEO of The Lactation Network breaks down how they are expanding access to lactation support for families nationwide; CEO of Vanta explains the importance of a security team for startups; Midwest Divison Area Manager at JPMorgan Chase discusses the perks of having a business mentor.
On this episode of ChedHER we hear from the CEO of Incredible Health on how she's breaking the bias this women's history month, a bestselling author gives us tips on how to create new post-pandemic habits, and we learn just how critical a business consultant can be.
On this episode of 'Cheddar Innovates': Creator of Animal Flow discusses the benefits to this unique type of workout that's rising in popularity; CEO of Vinylly breaks down how the app takes your streaming music data and some personal questions to find your next love match; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Secrets of the Universe.'
Activism is growing around the country in response to school boards banning books from shelves that focus on sexuality, gender, identity, or race. Jen Cousins, co-founder of The Florida Freedom to Read Project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
