MEXICO CITY, MEXICO—Mexico Daily News reports that Mexico’s culture minister Alejandra Frausto traveled to Rome to retrieve more than 40 pre-Hispanic artifacts recovered by Italy’s Carabinieri group for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. The oldest objects are about 1,700 years old. Some of them had been held in private collections. “Not only do we announce the recovery of heritage but also the recovery of dignity in this country,” Frausto said. Italy’s government has been advising Mexico’s authority on the creation of its own cultural protection enforcement organization. Germany has returned another 40 objects, while France has returned three. The oldest of these artifacts dates to 400 B.C. Frausto and her team now seek the return of more than 80 Olmec artifacts scheduled to be auctioned in France. She encouraged those who collect ancient objects to explore Mexico’s contemporary art. To read about Olmec sculptures and stucco masks uncovered at the Maya site of Toniná, go to "Around the World: Mexico."
Pre-Hispanic Artifacts Repatriated to Mexico
News March 30, 2023
SHARE:
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2024
Matchbox Memories
Courtesy Charlotte Williams
SLUB Dresden, Mscr.Dresd.R.310, http://digital.slub-dresden. de/id280742827 (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
Rubber Ball Recipe
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2023
A Game to Remember
(Courtesy INAH)
-
Features January/February 2023
Jungle Realm of the Snake Queens
How women ascended the ranks in the highstakes world of Maya politics
-
Letter from Ethiopia January/February 2023
Exploring a Forgotten Jewish Land
Using oral history, texts, and survey, archaeologists search for traces of a once-vibrant religious community
-
Artifacts January/February 2023
Byzantine Solidus Coins
(Dafna Gazit/Courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority) -
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2023
An Undersea Battlefield