The British Museum announced the recovery of hundreds of previously missing and stolen artifacts, resulting in a total of 626 items being retrieved.
The museum revealed that approximately 2,000 items had been reported missing or damaged, with many being unlawfully taken from its storage facilities and subsequently sold through platforms like eBay.
A spokesperson noted that the operation to recover these artifacts has expanded globally, with items being located in various countries around the world.
Last year, a senior staff member suspected of involvement in the disappearance of these items was dismissed from their position. Dr. Peter Higgs, who served as a senior curator in the museum’s Greek and Roman department, faced allegations, all of which he has denied.
The museum has faced challenges in verifying the origin of the recovered items due to inadequate cataloging and record-keeping. Consequently, it is currently accepting these objects back as donations.
George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum, credited staff detective work for the recent recoveries, which have since been returned to the museum.
“Few anticipated this outcome, and I too harbored doubts,” Osborne remarked. “Over 600 of the objects have been returned to us, with an additional 100 identified – in sum, nearly half of the stolen items we managed to recover.”
He continued, “When we initially announced the distressing news of the theft from our collection, many assumed that recovery of more than a handful of items was unlikely. Such outcomes are often the norm in cases of theft of this nature.”
