One of the most important archaeological finds of the Bronze Age in Europe, the famous Treasure of Villena (Tesoro de Villena), was stolen in the early hours of Thursday from the museum of the city of the same name, in the province of Alicante in Spain.
According to Spanish media, the Guardia Civil and the police have already taken over the case, which are conducting an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the theft.
The museum's alarm was activated at 5:16 a.m., however, so far local authorities are unable to determine the true extent of the theft and exactly which objects were stolen.
A priceless treasure about 3,000 years old
The Vilna Treasure is an extremely important collection of metalwork, dating back to around 1000 BC and consisting mainly of gold objects.
Among its objects are 11 cups, 28 bracelets and three vases, while the collection also includes three silver vases, two objects made of amber and gold, one made of iron and gold and an iron bracelet.
In total, the treasure contains 59 objects made of gold, silver, iron and amber, with a total weight of almost 10 kilograms.
The discovery that changed the archaeological history of the region
The story of the treasure discovery begins in the fall of 1963 and has almost cinematic characteristics.
In October 1963, a bracelet was found in soil being transported by truck, which they initially thought might be part of a car engine.
The project foreman, Ángel Tomás, even left the object in a conspicuous place, waiting for someone to come looking for it, believing it to be a truck bearing.
Fortunately, however, the object ended up in the hands of local jeweler Carlos Miguel Escobre. He realized that the find needed more detailed examination and contacted José María Soler, then director of the Municipal Archaeological Museum.
The examination of the bracelet led to the start of archaeological research at Rambla del Panadero. After several days of excavations, on December 1, 1963, Soler and his colleagues made the great discovery.
Inside a vase hidden in the stream bed, the treasure was found, which would be described as one of the most important - and according to Spanish media, the most important - Bronze Age archaeological sites in Europe. ©LAPSI.al
