British Museum scandals spark fresh calls for return of cultural gems

The British Museum is one of London's major tourist attractions. However, in recent years, the museum has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Reports say that thousands of artifacts housed there have either been stolen, lost or damaged. These scandals have tainted the museum's reputation as a global center of cultural heritage and sparked renewed calls for the repatriation of some of its prized cultural relics.

The British Museum, as one of the United Kingdom's largest and influential cultural institutions, has faced criticism after dismissing a member of staff in connection with reports that up to 2,000 of its treasures have either been plundered from other countries and regions, or have since gone missing or been damaged.

The scandal over the missing treasures began on August 16, when the museum confirmed that a number of objects from its collection were missing. Some of these later turned up on eBay, with price tags far below their estimated value.

It’s not the first time that the 270-year-old museum has been involved in a scandal related to thievery and looted goods.

During the 1970s, the museum experienced the theft of a number of historical coins and medals.

In 1993, thieves accessed the museum via its roof and stole some Roman coins and jewelry valued at 250,000 pounds.

In 1997, several Persian books were stolen.

In 2002, the museum had to reassess its security measures after a 2,500-year-old Greek statue was stolen by a visitor. It was swiped from the museum's Greek Archaic Gallery, which had been open to the public without a permanent guard on duty.

In 2004, it was reported that 15 "historically important" Chinese artifacts, including jewels, ornate hairpins, and fingernail guards, were stolen by another visitor.

In 2017, it was discovered that a valuable Cartier diamond had been missing since 2011.

The British Museum houses some 8 million artifacts, with around 80,000 on regular display and the rest stored in various locations. The vast majority of the artifacts come from countries outside the UK. However, the museum's failure to fully catalog its extensive collection, coupled with the challenging task of documenting the age of many the items, creates opportunities for theft.

These controversies have sparked renewed demands from countries like Nigeria, which is seeking the return of the Benin Bronzes, and Greece, which is currently advocating for the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles.