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Posted on 01/08/2026 4:20:30 PM PST by SunkenCiv
More than two years after the British Museum announced that a number of its Greek and Roman artifacts were stolen, missing or damaged, the institution hopes to strengthen its search for the lost items by hiring... a dedicated treasure hunter.
...will assist in finding the items... whereabouts remain unknown after the museum revealed the theft in 2023...
Of the estimated 1,500 artifacts that were originally reported missing, 654 have been recovered so far. Some items were identified after being listed on eBay -- including a piece of Roman jewelry worth $60,000 that was selling for $48 online -- and many others were retrieved with the help of art dealers and catalogers who discovered stolen goods that had made their way to auction. One of the most significant recoveries was a haul of 268 items found in the United States...
All missing artifacts have been listed on the Art Loss Register, an international database of more than 700,000 stolen items.
The treasure hunter will also help with the museum's own internal auditing of its archives, to ensure that additional items aren't unexpectedly missing. In the aftermath of the 2023 announcement, an independent review found that the institution needs to improve its record-keeping...
The museum was alerted to the thefts in 2021. At first, officials "incorrectly concluded that there was no basis to the claims," per the museum. However, an internal audit in 2022 revealed more evidence of missing artifacts. Officials contacted the police that December, and the thefts were made public the following year.
Peter Higgs, a curator at the museum for 30 years, was fired after being accused of stealing artifacts, though he has denied all allegations. The museum's director at the time, Hartwig Fischer, resigned just nine days after the thefts were announced.
(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...
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A late Bronze Age finger ring similar to some of the missing objects© The Trustees of the British Museum under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Thanks for the link!
That sounds like the guy in those artifact adventure movies, Indianapolis Jones!
His nemesis, Minneapolis Jones, is the one looting the artifacts.
How about finding the historic spine and backbone of England?
Seems to be missing lately.
LOL!
Beagle Smith ?
Wouldn’t a treasure hunter want to work for himself and keep the loot? Just asking.
I’ve been watching Rockford reruns. This sounds like a job for him. With Angel getting in the way, and selling a $60,000 piece of jewelry on EBAY for $48. And thinking he was a winner. “That’s an easy 48 bucks Jimmy! And that old pot made by that Chinese guy Ming is up to $25! All day long Jimmy!!”
“The Parthenon Puzzle Matter”
SOUND: (PHONE RINGS)
JOHNNY DOLLAR: (NARRATING)
The phone rang at exactly 8:15 AM. It was too early for a social call and too late for a good night’s sleep. The man on the other end introduced himself as Doctor Harrison, calling from London. My old friend Pat McCracken from Universal Adjustment must have given him my name.
JOHNNY:
Johnny Dollar speaking.
DR. HARRISON: (FILTERED, BRITISH ACCENT)
Ah, Mr. Dollar. Doctor Tom Harrison here, Head of Greek and Roman Collections at the British Museum. I hope I’m not calling at an inconvenient hour?
JOHNNY:
That depends, Doctor. On my end, time is money. On yours, it sounds like an emergency involving something a bit older than the average insurance claim.
DR. HARRISON:
You’re well-informed. We’re in a bit of a pickle, as they say. Over two years ago, we announced a significant number of our Greek and Roman artifacts were missing, stolen, or damaged.
Hundreds of items. Small gems, gold jewelry, exquisite glass. Not on public display, but priceless nonetheless.
JOHNNY:
Two years, Doctor? That’s a long time to wait before calling in the expert.
DR. HARRISON:
We’ve been handling it internally, attempting a meticulous recovery. We’ve retrieved some, but the majority are still... lost. The board has finally authorized a more aggressive approach.
We need someone who can work the international art market, someone with a certain... independence. Someone who can write a lot of letters. And kick a few doors down, if necessary.
JOHNNY:
And you think I’m that man?
DR. HARRISON:
Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Dollar. We’re offering a rather substantial retainer.
JOHNNY:
A substantial retainer always helps focus the mind. Alright, Doctor Harrison. I’ll take the next flight to London. You can fill me in on the details when I land.
DR. HARRISON:
Excellent. We’ll have someone meet you at Heathrow.
JOHNNY DOLLAR: (NARRATING)
Expense account, item one, three hundred forty-five dollars: Airfare, tourist class, from Hartford, Connecticut, to London, England.
The British Museum had a lot of history, but right now, all I was interested in was the fine print in their insurance policy. It looked like the kind of case where the past could come back to bite you... hard.
Stay Tuned for ACT TWO
Reminds me of my old job. The worst part was always the ‘chilled monkey brains’ served for dinner.
Even worse is the monkey brains served right out of the skull of the still living monkey.
I will take “Muslims have raided what famous British museum” for $500 Alex
Looks like Minneapolis mayor Frey when he was eating with the Somalis. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
First the Louvre, now this.
Relevant selections from the Louvre keyword, sorted:
And you try so hard to be polite to your host while reaching across the table for the fruit plate.
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