Archaeological masterpieces stolen from Drents Museum in Assen
In the night of 24 to 25 January 2025, several archaeological pieces were stolen from the Drents Museum. The museum is closed this weekend.
On the night of 24-25 January 2025, several archaeological pieces were stolen from the Drents Museum. These were masterpieces from the exhibition Dacia - Empire of Gold and Silver, including the Coțofenești helmet (c.450 BC) from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest. Around 03:45 am, police received a report of an explosion. At the scene, it became clear that access had been gained to the property by forcing a door with explosives.
UPDATE 7:49 p.m.: Four objects are missing, in addition to Coțofenești's helmet, three bracelets were taken.
Some archaeological masterpieces were captured in the property, including the gold Coțofenești helmet and three Dacian royal bracelets.
General director of the Drents Museum, Harry Tupan: ‘This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest. We are intensely shocked by the events last night at the museum. In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident. It also gives us enormous sadness towards our colleagues in Romania. The police are investigating, we are awaiting the outcome of that.'
Mayor of Assen, Marco Out: 'After the events, there was contact with the King's Commissioner and the Deputy, who came to the scene. Several ministries are involved, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Like others, I am shocked. I naturally sympathise with the owner of these pieces, the museum in Bucharest Romania. Assen and the Drents Museum are closely linked, so I sympathise with the museum's staff and management. This is something you don't want as a museum, but also as a city and province.'
The explosion damaged the museum's premises. No one was injured and no one has yet been arrested. The police reckon there are several suspects.
Police are conducting further investigations at the scene today. Among other things, neighbourhood searches are being conducted, forensic investigation is in place and CCTV footage is being requested and reviewed. The police are committed to locating both the suspects and the stolen masterpieces. In doing so, the investigation team has also decided to involve Interpol. That is an international organisation that helps police organisations prevent and fight crime. For more information on the investigation, please visit the police website. Here you can read, among other things, how to contact the police to pass on a tip or share camera images.
The Drents Museum is closed for the weekend.
Dacian bracelet from Sarmizegetusa Regia, 50 BCE, National History Museum of Romania. (Photo: Ing. Marius Amarie)
Coțofenești helmet, 450 BCE, National History Museum of Romania. (Photo: Ing. Marius Amarie)
Dacian bracelet from Sarmizegetusa Regia, 50 BCE, National History Museum of Romania. (Photo: Ing. Marius Amarie)
Dacian bracelet from Sarmizegetusa Regia, 50 BCE, National History Museum of Romania. (Photo: Ing. Marius Amarie)
Background information objects
Coțofenești helmet
After a heavy rainstorm in 1927, children discovered this helmet on the slope of a hill while playing. The rain had washed away the ground under which it lay. The children didn’t know what it was. They played with it and took it home. The helmet was used there as a water bowl for the animals for a while.
Now we know that this helmet is very special. It was used as a showpiece helmet and has depictions from the Getic mythology. The decorations are special, because they show different cultural influences. The eyes are inspired by Corinthian or Chalcidian helmets. These were said to deter the enemy during battle and protect the wearer from the 'evil eye'. The weapons, clothing and fantastic beasts come from Eurasian steppe peoples and the sphinx is inspired by Greek mythology.
Golden bracelets
These bracelets have only been found in the Dacian capital Sarmizegetusa Regia. There are 24 in total and they all come from sacrificial pits in the religious part of the city. If you look closely, you can see that the decorations are different. Some have wolf fur and others have scales. They were never worn, but were put directly into the royal treasury and later they were offered.
The gold used to make these bracelets came from a location 80-120 km north of Sarmizegetusa Regia. Silver versions of this bracelet have also been found outside the capital. These were worn though, on the upper arm. The goldsmiths who made the silver version must have seen the gold bracelets up close.
