The Treasure of Villena, considered one of the most important sets of prehistoric goldsmithing in Europe, was stolen during the early hours of this Thursday at the Villena Museum (MUVI). According to information gathered by SER, the assailants accessed the building through one of its sides after tearing off one of the windows. They then carried out the robbery very quickly, taking the original pieces that make up one of the most important archaeological finds on the continent.
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The Local Police and the Civil Guard kept the area cordoned off during the morning while they analyzed all the evidence and reconstructed the sequence of events. So far, no official statements have been made, as the investigation remains open. However, the first hypotheses point to a possible coordinated action. Minutes earlier, a false alarm was registered at the municipal sports center, two kilometers from the museum, which would have served as a distraction.
The alarm went off at 5:16, according to sources, who still do not know the real impact of the theft. Among the possibilities considered by the investigators is the involvement of a group specialized in the theft of historical heritage. It is also considered that it could be a commissioned crime, due to the great relevance and unique nature of the stolen pieces. A month ago, a theft occurred at the Albacete museum (Castilla-La Mancha) that seems to simulate the same modus operandi as this Thursday’s. And months earlier, in Badajoz, gold objects also disappeared, so the Police believe it could be the same group that stole in Albacete.
The Treasure of Villena is one of the most important sets of Bronze Age goldsmithing (2200 to 750 BC) on the Iberian Peninsula. It is composed of 59 gold objects (including 27 bracelets and 11 bowls) and a few made of silver and iron. It was identified in 1963 by archaeologist José María Soler García after some workers found various loose pieces in a gravel pit in Villena (Alicante). Its discovery sparked a huge scientific debate because it has no relation to any of the archaeological sites in its surroundings, with the only exception being the one known as Tesorillo de Cabezo Redondo (35 objects), also found in 1963 in Villena, which includes some similar gold pieces.
Given its immense value, the Treasure of Villena is kept in a bulletproof display case at the local archaeological museum. Experts have always doubted whether it belonged to the post-Argaric period (1500-1300 BC) or the final stages of the Late Bronze Age (8th century BC). Now, the study “Meteoric iron in the Treasure of Villena?” by Salvador Rovira-Llorens, Martina Renzi, and Ignacio Montero-Ruiz, researchers respectively from the National Archaeological Museum, the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (Saudi Arabia), and the Institute of History of the CSIC, adds spectacular data thanks to the analysis of its metals: it was made in the Late Bronze Age (1400-1200 BC) and with iron from a meteorite.