Crossroads Roundup: Museum Heists, Ancient Sea Monsters, and Italian Opera

Our favorite stories on art, archaeology, folklore, and more from this past week.

Welcome to the Crossroads Roundup! This is our weekly roundup of news related to history, art, archaeology, and anything else that our readers might enjoy. While many of our essays are free, the Crossroads Roundup is for paid subscribers only. If you haven’t already, you can sign up for just $5 per month to gain access to all essays, exclusive videos, and the Crossroads Roundup. If you sign up for an annual membership, you’ll get one month free:

Exterior of the British Museum, London, UK. Via Wikimedia Commons.

The British Museum has found itself in hot water regarding the theft of up to 1,500 objects…

…and apparently, didn’t realize the scope of the theft for years after the fact due to poor record-keeping. This news comes with a hefty dose of irony; the British Museum houses treasures from all over the world, many of which were acquired via colonization or theft. Often, this is justified by the “excellent care” that the institution is able to provide for these objects. (For a thorough breakdown on the deeply complicated legacy of stolen art in museums—and why looting of ancient sites remains an issue today—check out this fantastic Freakonomics series on the subject.) So, what happened?