A vanished treasure from ancient Romania has reappeared more than a year after thieves blasted their way into a Dutch museum to get it. Dutch art sleuth Arthur Brand says he has recovered the 2,500-year-old gold Helmet of Cotofenesti, stolen in January 2025 from the Drents Museum in Assen after robbers used firework explosives to shatter their way inside, then smashed display cases, per CBS News. The gang also took three gold bracelets in the raid, which sparked public anger in Romania, where the objects are regarded as national treasures.
Brand—often referred to as the "Indiana Jones of the art world"—has built a career navigating between law enforcement and criminals to retrieve stolen works. His previous recoveries include a Brueghel canvas missing for more than 50 years, a Roman statue stolen in the 1970s, and a Vincent van Gogh painting taken in 2020. How exactly he tracked down the Cotofenesti helmet has not yet been detailed.
Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, who was fired as director of Romania's National History Museum as a result of the robbery, said the helmet and three bracelets were found "intact," "wrapped in a towel" and "buried," per the Romania Journal. They are to be presented during a news conference at the Drents Museum later Thursday. The Netherlands has already paid Romania some €5.7 million (about $6.5 million) in compensation, which will now be refunded, minus the cost of any damages, the Journal reports, noting a thief was seen dropping the helmet before making off with it.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
