The U.S. Just Returned 900+ Stolen Mesoamerican Artifacts to Mexico
The repatriation of culturally important artifacts has grown over the years. Governments worldwide are holding other countries accountable in the hunt for stolen treasures. Over the years, international governments have sent hundreds of artifacts back where they belong. A recent repatriation of more than 900 Mesoamerican artifacts is the latest repatriation to make the news.
Mexico continues to bring important cultural pieces back home
A recent development in Mexico’s fight to claw back cultural artifacts is another win for the North American country. The 918 artifacts represent crucial parts of Mexico’s heritage, including the country’s oldest civilization. According to Forbes Mexico, ongoing cooperation and diplomatic efforts resulted in valuable artifacts of Mexico’s heritage coming home.
The artifacts include pieces of history spanning three millennia. More than 800 pieces of pre-Hispanic artifacts are from the University of Hamilton in New York. Among them is an Olmec anthropomorphic figure that dates back to 900 – 400 BCE. The clay sculpture portrays a seated man with cranial modifications and holds the fascination of Mexican archeologists.
Historians consider the Olmec civilization the mother culture of Mesoamerica. The civilization thrived in the present-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from 1200 – 400 BCE. The sculpture is an essential archeological piece of one of the first civilizations and influenced the following civilizations.
Mexico has received Olmec artifacts in the past
In February 2023, the United States government announced it was returning a massive Olmec sculpture known as the Portal to the Underworld to Mexico. The U.S. repatriated the artifact in May 2023, underwent certification and authentication, and found its home at the Chalcatzingo Museum.
“This is a historic day for Morelos’s territories, which have witnessed the development of various Mesoamerican settlements,” Morelos Governor Margarita González Saravia said during the opening ceremony of the Chalcatzingo Museum, according to Mexico News Daily. “Examples of culture, such as Monument 9, allow us to enhance the identity of the region’s residents, rich in archaeological remains.”
The repatriation of cultural artifacts is significant
Artifacts tell the rich story of the people they come from. Knowing where our civilizations came from and the tangible objects that tell that story are crucial in understanding our heritage. For centuries, colonizing countries like England, France, Spain, and the United States have taken these culturally significant treasures as the spoils of war.
For centuries, people around the world have watched as their heritage is displayed in museums around the world. Seeing your culture paraded for tourists in countries that pillaged and plundered your home country is infuriating. By taking the artifacts from their homeland and sharing them in foreign countries, you deprive people of the chance to see these artifacts where they belong.
The repatriation of these artifacts is a good reminder of international diplomacy’s continuing efforts to right some wrongs from the past. As more artifacts are discovered, it will be wonderful to see museums in Mexico and other countries filled with their own treasures.
