Italy returns pre-Columbian archaeological artifacts, fossils to Mexico
July 17 (UPI) — Italy returned to Mexico a collection of 27 pre-Columbian archaeological artifacts and fossils recovered during separate investigations into the illicit trafficking of cultural property, authorities from both countries said.
The handover occurred Thursday at the Mexican Embassy in Rome, where the Italian Carabinieri’s Cultural Heritage Protection Unit officially delivered the items to Mexico’s ambassador to Italy, Genaro Lozano.
The artifacts will be transferred to Mexico after being cataloged by the National Institute of Anthropology and History, the institute said.
The collection includes three Teotihuacan heads dating from 200 B.C. to A.D. 650, two Maya terracotta figurines from the Early Classic period, a tripod bowl, 16 other pre-Columbian artifacts and three Late Cretaceous fossil fish, according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
The artifacts were recovered during investigations carried out by Italian authorities in Florence, Rome, Monza, Ancona and Venice.
The objects were found in customs inspections, private collections, online auctions and e-commerce platforms, while the fossils were intercepted in an illegal postal shipment from the Mexican state of Nuevo León, the National Institute of Anthropology and History said.
Brig. Gen. Antonio Petti, head of the Carabinieri unit for the protection of cultural heritage, said the artifacts are in an “absolutely excellent state of preservation” after being recovered during separate operations targeting the illegal trafficking of cultural property, according to El Observador, which cited comments he made to EFE.
During the ceremony, Lozano said the artifacts “represent the living history of Mexico” and said their value lies in “memory, justice, and recovering and keeping history alive,” according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
The diplomat said the restitution is part of the “My Heritage Is Not for Sale” campaign launched by the Mexican government to recover cultural property illegally removed from the country.
Since 2013, Italy has returned more than 840 cultural objects to Mexico through cooperation between the two countries to combat the international trafficking of archaeological heritage, the National Institute of Anthropology and History said.
The institute said the 27 pieces have been classified as archaeological monuments and, under Mexican law, are the inalienable property of the nation.
Once they arrive in Mexico, cultural authorities will decide whether the artifacts will be displayed in national museums or returned to the regions from which they were removed, the National Institute of Anthropology and History said.