A 2,500-Year-Old Golden Helmet and Dacian Treasures Stolen from a Museum in the Netherlands (4 photos)
Several priceless exhibits from the exhibition “Dacia – Land of Gold and Silver” have been stolen from the Drenthe Museum in Assen, Netherlands. The ancient treasures were on loan from the National History Museum of Romania. Among the stolen items are the famous Coțofenești Golden Helmet, dating back to 450 BC, and three royal Dacian bracelets. 
The Coțofenești Golden Helmet is an example of the amazing art and craftsmanship of the Thracian culture. In 1929, it was discovered by Traian Simion in the village of Poiana Coțofenești, Romania. Experts determined that it belonged to the Geto-Dacian tribe and was made of 1 kg of pure gold. 
Early on Saturday morning, January 25, at approximately 3:45 a.m., local police were alerted to an explosion at the museum. When officers arrived, they discovered that the perpetrators had used explosives to force open the door. The exhibit featured more than 600 artifacts, including gold and silver treasures from the ancient Dacian civilization, which flourished in what is now Romania more than 2,000 years ago. 
CCTV footage showed three men entering the building and smashing the display cases. Thirty minutes later, a burned-out car was found near the N33 highway, about seven kilometers from the museum. Authorities believe it was used by the perpetrators.
The Coțofenești helmet, like the three gold bracelets from the Dacian royal collection, symbolize the Dacians' advanced metalworking skills and their wealth from the Transylvanian Ore Mountains.
Director of the Drenthe Museum Harry Tupan called the incident a "black day" for the institution and his Romanian colleagues. He stressed that this was the first time in the museum's 170-year history that such an incident had occurred.
Marco Out, the mayor of Assen, confirmed that several ministries, including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had joined the investigation. 
Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu held talks with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp, emphasizing the cultural and historical significance of the stolen exhibits.
The Dutch authorities have asked for help from law enforcement agencies in neighboring countries, as well as Interpol.
The Dacian Treasures exhibition opened in July 2024 and was scheduled to close on January 26, 2025. It featured exhibits from 15 Romanian institutions. The staff of the National History Museum of Romania were scheduled to begin packing the exhibits for shipment home on Sunday.
