Pre-Columbian hoard returns to Mexico

A treasure-trove of about 100 artifacts, believed to be pre-Columbian, is on its way to Mexico, its presumed home, U.S. customs agents and Mexican diplomats said Tuesday.

Among the antiquities is a stone mask of a broad-featured man, which is believed to come from the Olmec civilization, the oldest in the Americas, and it dates as far back as 1000 B.C., experts said. Other items include figurines in jadeite, precious stones symbolically linked to fertility for the people of ancient Mesoamerica and once valued more than gold. . .

The goods represent several seizures in Texas and New Mexico, including an initial seizure in 2001. . .

Seems that there's some doubt about where the pieces belong, however, so perhaps other Central or South American countries may end up putting in a claim:

A spokesman at Mexico's Institute of Archaeology and History noted that no Mexican archaeologist has physically seen the pieces and they still need to be verified.

Robert Drolet, an archaeologist with the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, said he surveyed about a dozen items in 2001, when the first seizure was made. Only three were Mexican and all were memorable, he said.

Full article here.

Posted by David on April 2, 2008 11:58 AM