#dacians

Thieves use Explosives to Steal Gold 'Masterpieces' From Dutch Museum

Thieves have stolen four ancient artifacts, including an approximately 2,500-year-old gold helmet, after using explosives to break into a museum in the Netherlands.

The daring heist took place at Drents Museum in Assen during the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Dutch police, who said they received a report of an explosion at 3:45 a.m. local time.

CCTV footage released by police shows the suspects opening an exterior door before a blast sends sparks and smoke into the air. The thieves made off with three gold bracelets, dating from around 50 BC, as well as the 5th-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti, a historically important artifact on loan from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest.

The items were part of an exhibition about the Dacians, an ancient society that occupied much of present-day Romania before being conquered by the Romans. On show since July, “Dacia: Empire of Gold and Silver” featured treasures borrowed from institutions across Romania.

In a press release on its website, Drents Museum described the Helmet of Cotofenesti — which was discovered in a Romanian village almost a century ago — as a “masterpiece.” Its design features mythological scenes and a pair of eyes, located above the wearers’, that were thought to deter enemies during battle while protecting against the “evil eye.”

The exhibition was set to conclude Sunday, though Drents Museum remained closed through the weekend due to the robbery. Its premises were damaged by the explosion, though no injuries were reported, the museum said.

Dutch police announced that they are working with global police agency Interpol and had, as of Sunday, received more than 50 tip-offs. Investigators are currently looking for information about a gray car that was stolen from the nearby city of Alkmaar earlier in the week and was discovered around four miles from the crime scene, on fire, shortly after the overnight heist.

Police believe the suspects abandoned the vehicle, which had stolen license plates, and fled in a different getaway car.

In a press statement, Drents Museum’s general director Harry Tupan, described the incident as a “dark day” — both for his institution and the National History Museum of Romania.

“We are intensely shocked by the events last night at the museum,” he added. “In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident. It also gives us enormous sadness towards our colleagues in Romania.”

By Oscar Holland.

Scriitorul ieșean Florin Lăzărescu a creat limba dacă pentru filmul „Nosferatu” al lui Robert Eggers / „Din prima, Robert mi-a spus că trebuie să îi traduc ceva în limba dacă și că trebuie să o inventez eu”

Illustration d'Angus McBride détaillant spécifiquement les Celtes installés à l'Est et leurs interactions avec les peuples du bassin du Danube au IVe siècle av. J.-C.

Les trois personnages situés à gauche représentent des aristocrates et guerriers appartenant aux tribus celtes (notamment les Boïens ou les Scordisques) ayant migré vers l'Europe centrale, les Balkans et les frontières de la Thrace.

Le chef celte (2e en partant de la gauche) porte le célèbre casque ailé en bronze, une cotte de mailles d'acier et un grand bouclier ovale à motif de chevrons. Le porte-enseigne (1er à gauche) brandit une enseigne militaire surmontée d'une figurine de sanglier en bronze, animal sacré et symbole de force chez les Celtes.

Rusyn Song Promoting Rusyn Identity from Maramureș, Romania

Irritatingly the kit doesn't let you build everyone on sprue with one weapon type, there are two archer bodies, three or four spear or hand weapon bodies, and two or three falx bodies. Of course you can do some kitbashing and build them as non-standard but I prefer to keep "on-script" for these Victrix kits.

These two guys are from the Command sprue. My first use of army painter speedpaint's Hoplite Bronze. It's not quite as gold or as shiny as I would like but it's not bad, really.

Three Falxmen! Two of them shirtless and one using the body that can be falx or spear armed. These are the real Rome Total War champions, I loved the falxmen in RTW and here they are in all their stripey pants'd glory. Plus Dave in his normal tunic and trousers but we don't talk about him.

Archers! These guys are actually going to be doing a lot of work, I've got a Norman army going as well and these Thracian archers look generic enough to work for them as well, so they're my missile support in both the Classical Era and the Dark Ages. What's a millennium or so between friends?

And last we have my three standard spearsmen! I tried to make the RTW Thracian snake motif work but it kiind of does not, unfortunately. Future shields will be simpler I think. Also: the shield rims on the shields in this kit are a real pain, moreso than on the Norman kit even.