OAKLAND, Calif. — More than 1,000 artifacts were stolen from a California museum earlier this month, but museum officials are just releasing the information about the heist in an effort to get the pieces of the Golden State’s history back.

The burglary happened at the Oakland Museum of California’s off-site storage building in the early morning of Oct. 15, The Associated Press reported.

The more than 1,000 missing artifacts included metalwork jewelry, Native American baskets, scrimshaw walrus tusks, and more common items such as trophies and political campaign buttons, which told California’s history.

“They’re not just a loss to the museum,” museum director Lori Forgarty said. “They’re a loss to the public, to our community and we’re hoping our community can help us bring them home.”

Forgarty said the museum released details about the heist because the stolen items may be offered at flea markets, antique stores and pawn shops, the AP explained.

“I think it is very possible that the people who stole these items don’t really know themselves what they have and why it might be important and where to actually, if they’re trying to pass it off or sell it, where to take it,” Fogarty told KGO.

She said she did not believe that it was a targeted art theft, instead that it was a crime of opportunity.

“We think the thieves found a way to enter the building, and they grabbed what they could easily find and snatch and get out of the building with,” Forgarty said.

There have not been any arrests announced and the total value of the items has not been released, NBC News reported.

This is not the first time thieves have hit the museum. A man from Oakland, California, broke in and took a Gold Rush-era jewelry box. It was traced to a pawn shop thanks to tips from the public, the AP reported.

The Oakland Police Department said it is working with the FBI on the investigation.

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