Mexico City, December 6 (EFE). – The Mexican Foreign Ministry has handed over to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) a total of 52 archaeological pieces that were voluntarily returned by people who had been in the United States.
In a joint statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the INAH said that the delivery took place this Friday after Mexico was able to recover these parts, which were in the possession of individuals who contacted the Mexican Embassy in the United States and its consulates in the cities of New York, Sacramento and San Francisco.
“The objects display stylistic characteristics of Mexican, Teotihuacan and Zapotec cultures and were made between 500 BC (BC) and 1521 AD (CE),” the text says.
According to INAH, following opinions from specialists at the institute, it was concluded that these assets are part of the nation’s cultural heritage.
The organization recalled that in the first year of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration, more than 2,000 cultural items were returned to Mexico from other countries.
Globally, Mexican embassies and consulates have recovered more than 16,000 cultural items since the auction war began in cities such as New York, Paris and Rome over the past six years, with items stolen or belonging to Mexican heritage turning up.
In addition, they have increased demands on foreign governments to recover archaeological and artistic pieces. EFE