By Danica Kirka
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.''
After the successful launch of its nacho fries, Taco Bell's got a few more tricks up its sleeve for the coming months. Alyssa Julya Smith tries them out with Rene Pisciotti, Product Development Manager at the Mexican fast food chain.
Actors Paul Scheer and Joey King joined Cheddar to speak about the trends that defined the season, now nearly 15 years ago, and how their latest film embodies those vibes.
Google is banning all ads related to cryptocurrency. Students across the country are walking out of class today to remember victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Kai Ryssdal, host and senior editor of Marketplace, stops by to talk about the upcoming 10 year anniversary of the financial crisis. And we're joined by the co-owner of McClure's, a company that specializes in making pickles.
Bob McClure was an aspiring actor, juggling several jobs to make a living. But he quit the industry to focus on a family hobby that got its start in Detroit and has now made its way to New Zealand.
The "You Can Choose Your Family" actor joins director Miranda Bailey from SXSW in Austin, Tex., to discuss women in the film industry. Thirty-eight percent of the crew on the film were female.
The television personality, entrepreneur, and musical artist joined Cheddar to discuss how "Motivation," an ode to his daughter, came about.
Rex Tillerson is out as Secretary of State and CIA director Mike Pompeo is in. President Trump issued an executive order blocking Broadcom's hostile takeover bid for rival chipmaker Qualcomm. Olympic gold medalist and author Scott Hamilton joins us to talk about his figure skating career and his new book. Plus, Kristen Scholer sits down with Brooklyn Decker and Whitney Casey at SXSW to talk about their start-up Finery.
The Finery co-founders bet voice activation and A.I. will be fashion's next "it" trend. They say the technology would work with human stylists, rather than replace them.
The host and comedian joined Cheddar to talk about the CNN show's third season. He explains the role social media had in choosing to feature the Sikh community in an episode.
In the film "Support the Girls", writer/director Andrew Bujalski explores life through the eyes of bar workers who end up developing a tight-knit relationship.
