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.''
Moving to a new city or job can be challenging. That is why Janete Perez created Present, the social media app that connects women in cities across the country with similar interests.
Arianna Huffington explains how it helps people combat their smartphone addiction. Amazon narrows the list of cities for HQ2. Facebook announces details of its community outreach program. Whatsapp announces it will allow business accounts. In a Cheddar scoop, Snapchat is laying off dozens of workers. The government shutdown looms. IBM, Atlassian, American Express release earnings.
Jacobs Engineering Group is celebrating their 70th anniversary. The team is looking towards the future and the potential infrastructure bill that could be passing sometime this month or next. JEC explains why this bill is necessary and what impact it would have on the U.S. as a whole.
This week Bitcoin saw a huge drop and most of the other cryptocurrencies followed. So is it worth betting on Bitcoin? Bilal Zuberi is a partner at VC firm Lux Capital and he gives his take on investing in blockchain technology over cryptocurrency.
Mastercard is taking the next step in its iconic "Priceless" campaign. Raja Rajamannar, CMO at Mastercard, was with us to share the company's brand new campaign that will hit at the Grammy Awards.
On VF Hive: We’re joined by the crew from Vanity Fair's Hive to discuss Bannon's Mueller investigation subpoena. On Between Bells: Winter Olympics diplomacy, and Ellen Pompeo's payday. With New York Magazine, Latina Magazine, and FHM.
Oscar and three-time Golden Globe nominee Eric Roberts says his showbiz family never discusses work at the dinner table. The actor joins Cheddar to discuss his latest project, "No Solicitors."
Cape Town's mayor says the city is less than 90 days away from running out of water. Actor, influencer, and creator Nash Grier joins Cheddar to discuss how he's dedicating his 20th birthday to help end the global water crisis.
The social media star says the Alphabet-owned platform does "a pretty good job at giving people hope" and "content that would actually uplift them, and make them and the world a better place."
The ABC sitcom "Fresh Off The Boat" is no stranger to tackling diverse topics. Now, one of its stars is partnering with the media organization GLAAD to help people struggling with coming out of the closet.
