The police said they had yet to recover the golden helmet of Cotofenesti, a prized artifact from Romania, and other artifacts stolen from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands over the weekend.

Robbers used explosives to break into the Drents Museum in Assen over the weekend and nab three antique bracelets and a 2,500-year-old gold helmet.

The items—which include a helmet discovered by playing children—belonged to members of the lost Dacian civilisation

The prize in this art heist is worth more than its gold. To Romania, the ancient helmet is a priceless cultural heirloom. To the Netherlands, it’s a stolen artifact that authorities hope to retrieve to uphold a reputation for safe museums.

The intricate golden Cotofenesti helmet dates back some 2,500 years and is one Romania’s most revered national treasures from the Dacia civilization. It was on display at the small Drents Museum in eastern Netherlands on the last weekend of a 6-month stint when thieves nabbed it.

Several archaeological pieces from the Dacia - Empire of Gold and Silver exhibition showcasing Dacian treasures from Romania have been stolen after an explosion at the Drents Museum in the Netherlands on the night of January 24 to 25.

Following the recent theft at the Drents Museum in the Netherlands, the Brukenthal National Museum in Romania has decided to close temporarily to raise awareness about the importance of protecting cultural heritage.

To Romania, the ancient helmet is a priceless cultural heirloom. To the Netherlands, it’s a stolen artifact that authorities hope to retrieve to uphold a reputation for safe museums. The ...

The main artefact stolen from the Drents museum was the golden helmet of Cotofenesti, which was on loan from the National History Museum of Romania. View on euronews

The burglary took just a few minutes after thieves made their way in by breaking through doors and setting off an explosion. They took the golden helmet of Cotofenesti, which dates from around 450BC. They were part of an exhibition about the ancient kingdom of Dacia, which was situated in present-day Romania.

Romania was abuzz Tuesday after prehistoric gold artifacts were stolen from a Dutch museum, with the country's rising far-right branding the theft