British Museum seeks assistance from the public and professionals to retrieve looted treasures

The British Museum is seeking the assistance of the public in finding and retrieving ancient artefacts that have gone missing from its collection. Last month, an employee was fired and the police launched an investigation after approximately 2,000 treasures were reported as missing, stolen, or damaged over a long period of time. The majority of the missing items are Greek and Roman gems and jewellery, for which the museum has shared images of similar pieces. So far, sixty objects have been returned, with another 300 identified and expected to be returned soon. To aid in the recovery process, the museum has published details and pictures of the missing objects on its website, encouraging anyone with information or concerns related to these items to come forward. Additionally, an international panel of experts, along with the Art Loss Register, will assist in identifying and recovering the items. The museum has taken precautions not to provide too much information, as it may aid individuals acting in bad faith, according to James Ratcliffe, the director of recoveries at the Art Loss Register. An independent security review has been initiated to evaluate the museum's security measures and oversee the efforts to retrieve the missing artefacts. The Chief Constable of the British Transport Police and joint chair of the review, Lucy D'Orsi, expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the recovery program and commended the dedication of the museum staff. Following the thefts, British Museum director Hartwig Fischer resigned. Moreover, the institution has been facing mounting pressure from various countries, including China, to return other artefacts to their countries of origin after the recent high-profile losses.