British Museum director resigns after curator allegedly sold stolen antiquities on eBay

Hartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum, has stepped down immediately after it was uncovered that former curator Peter John Higgs allegedly stole antiquities from the museum and sold them on eBay. Higgs, who oversaw Greek collections and sculpture, was terminated last week. According to The Telegraph, he sold items under the username 'Sultan1966', including a Roman onyx cameo from the first or second century, which was listed for £40 despite its true value being in the tens of thousands. Dutch antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel had warned the museum about questionable sales as early as 2021, identifying at least 70 potentially stolen works. Fischer initially disregarded Gradel's concerns but later issued an apology. The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating, while art historian Dr. Bendor Grosvenor pointed out that such items are seldom traceable on the black market. The museum is enhancing security measures and striving to recover the stolen artifacts.