Dutch authorities are desperately investigating a major art heist of a millenia-old golden helmet from an ancient civilization in current-day Romania.

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 objects, on loan from the Romanian National History Museum in Bucharest, belonged to members of the lost Dacian civilisation

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

The 5th-century BC Helmet of Cotofenesti was among the valuable items taken during an overnight heist at Drents Museum in the Netherlands.

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.

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.

Thieves responsible for the Drents Museum heist left with a gold Coțofenești helmet and three Dacian royal bracelets, the museum said.

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.

The police said the golden helmet of Cotofenesti, a highly regarded artifact from Romania, was among the items stolen from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands.