Mexico recovers 30 archaeological pieces from Italy

• The pieces were authenticated by the INAH.
• They were recovered by Italian authorities in Ancona, Udine, Naples and Rome when they went up for sale.

The Government of Italy returned 30 archaeological pieces to the Government of Mexico on July 1 in a ceremony held at the Mexican embassy in Rome.

As part of the celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Mexican embassy in Italy, Ambassador Carlos García de Alba received from the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Property thirty archaeological pieces from Mexico. In reciprocity, he gave to Italy 1,271 documents related to the renowned Italian sculptor Ettore Ferrari.

Mexican Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto said, "Italy once again has given us an example of friendship and respect for the ancient cultures of our country. With this reciprocal act, our two nations seal our bonds of cooperation and commitment that we maintain with strength and conviction to highlight the cultural values that give us identity and pride."

Present at the event were: Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini; Carabinieri Commander General Teo Luzi; the Commander of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Property, Roberto Riccardi; the Director of the Central State Archive, Andrea de Pasquale, and Arturo Zamora Jiménez. Moisés Poblanno Silva, head of the Administration and Finance Unit of the Foreign Ministry, participated as witness of honor for Mexico.

The pieces were seized by the Italian authorities in Ancona, Udine, Naples and Rome when they were found to be for sale illegally on internet sites, at the Pordenone Antiquaria antiques market, at an auction organized by Bertolami Fine Arts in Rome, and by private individuals.

The pieces were authenticated by the INAH. They include statuettes, pots, cups and anthropomorphic figurines from various Mexican cultures and pre-Hispanic eras, including notable pieces from the Teotihuacan culture of the central highlands of Mexico (200-650 AD); the Oaxaca Valley culture (1000-1521 AD), both Mixtec (900-1521 AD) and Zapotec (400-800 AD); the Mayan culture from Campeche (6th-10th centuries AD); the Remojadas culture of Veracruz (200 AD -600 AD); the Classic period of the Totonac culture (400 - 900 AD); Tarascan postclassic pieces from the Michoacan region of western Mexico (1200 - 1521 AD); also from western Mexico, the early postclassic Coyotlatelco culture (900 - 1200 AD); and from the Shaft Tombs in western Mexico, Classic period (200 - 900 AD), among others.

The Government of Mexico reaffirms its commitment to actively participating in protecting cultural heritage around the world and to continue its efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property and the repatriation of pieces that are national heritage and that are abroad illegally.