A collection of 3,000-year-old gold bracelets, bowls, bottles and other Bronze Age artifacts was stolen from a museum in the Spanish town of Villena in a heist that lasted just minutes, according to local authorities.
The treasure, discovered in 1963 and dating to around 1,000 BC, is regarded as one of the world’s most important collections of prehistoric gold, alongside artifacts uncovered in the royal tombs of Mycenae in Greece.
The theft occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the municipal museum in Villena, near Alicante in Spain’s Valencia region. Spain’s Civil Guard is investigating the robbery, which authorities believe was carried out by professional thieves.
“We are absolutely devastated, I’m shaking as I speak,” Villena Mayor Fulgencio Cerdán said at a news briefing. “This is part of our heritage.”
The thieves arrived in two cars and entered the museum through a window, according to Cerdán. They removed the artifacts in about three to four minutes before fleeing.
Police were alerted at 5:23 a.m. after an alarm at a nearby sports center was triggered. Minutes later, the museum’s alarm went off, prompting authorities to respond.
The thieves dropped a small golden crown belonging to a statue of the Christ Child as they escaped, Cerdán said.
The stolen artifacts were made predominantly of gold, with the metal itself valued at as much as €1.7 million ($2 million), according to the mayor.
Their historical and archaeological significance, however, makes the collection far more valuable than its bullion value, Cerdán said.
The treasure was uncovered in 1963 and consists of numerous Bronze Age objects, making it an important record of early metalworking and wealth in the Iberian Peninsula.
Golden pieces from other historical periods were also taken during the robbery, according to the authorities.
Civil Guard investigators are examining surveillance footage and other evidence from the scene.
“We can’t reach any conclusions, but we have all the images,” said Francisco Poyato, a chief colonel of the Civil Guard. “We know there were several people, several vehicles, and we are analyzing all the information.”
The theft adds to a series of high-profile museum robberies in Spain and elsewhere, raising concerns over security at institutions holding culturally significant artifacts.
The incidents include last year’s widely reported robbery at the Louvre in Paris, where historic French crown jewels were stolen.
For Villena, the loss extends beyond the financial value of the gold. The collection is closely tied to the town’s archaeological heritage and has been a major cultural asset for the region.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the identities of the thieves and recover the missing artifacts.
Source: Bloomberg
