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.''
The founder behind luggage company Wool & Oak wanted a trendy, back-packing alternative to the traditional tourist bag. Now Wool & Oak is now out with their third Kickstarter campaign that was fully funded in less than 24 hours!
2017 saw one of the greatest art sales with the $450 million sale of a Leonardo Da Vinci. Phillip Ashley Klein is the Art and Finance Leader at Deloitte Consulting and he joins Cheddar to explain why 2018 could be an even bigger year for art than 2017.
Imagine leaving your job, driving cross-country for your girlfriend only to find out she was cheating on you. That's just the start of the new indie movie hit, "Becks."
The D10 is a Wall Street decathlon that has raised more than $10 million for pediatric cancer research over the years. This June, the event will celebrate it's 10th anniversary!
#MeToo is had its own moment at the 90th annual Academy Awards. Actress Frances McDormand earned an Oscar for Best Actress in a leading role, and during her speech she emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion. She also asked other female nominees in the room to stand up in solidarity. Entertainment Weekly's Senior Editor Katie Hasty explains the significance of this moment.
The TV industry is in the middle of a reboot revolution with iconic franchises returning to the small screen like we've never seen them before. Actress Courtney Henggeler joins Cheddar to discuss the latest installment of "The Karate Kid" franchise as "Cobra Kai" heads to YouTube Red.
This year's Oscars ceremony was filled with memorable moments, but not much in terms of scandal. The Wrap's Beatrice Verhoeven sits down with Alyssa Julya Smith to recap all the best moments from the 90th Academy Awards.
Between Bells: Cheddar Politics talks the looming trade war, the gun control debate, and Jared Kushner's future. With The Young Turks, CRTV, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and more.
Hollywood's biggest stars took on issues from DACA to gun control at the 90th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.
Amazon is in talks with some big Wall Street banks to launch a checking account geared towards its younger customers. Apple will reportedly unveil a cheaper MacBook Air and noise-canceling headphones later this year. Ashley Jenkins, host of Rooster Teeth's "The Know," joins us to talk about the alleged meeting between President Trump and video game makers. Plus, we're recapping the 90th annual Academy Awards with Bonnie Fuller, editor-in-chief at Hollywood Life.
