The British Museum has said that it has dismissed a member of staff after items from its collection were found to be "missing, stolen or damaged".
The items included gold jewellery and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from 15th century BC to the 19th century, it said in a statement.
The London museum, which houses artefacts from around the world, has launched an independent review of security.
The matter is also under investigation by the economic crime command of the Metropolitan Police.
Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, said: "The museum apologises for what has happened, but we have now brought an end to this - and we are determined to put things right.
"We have already tightened our security arrangements and we are working alongside outside experts to complete a definitive account of what is missing, damaged and stolen. This will allow us to throw our efforts into the recovery of objects."
The museum said the majority of the items were small pieces kept in a storeroom belonging to one of the museum's collections, adding: "None had recently been on public display, and they were kept primarily for academic and research purposes."
Additional reporting PA
