The Albuquerque Museum Foundation returns 12 archeological artifacts to the Mexican government

• With no information about the provenance of the pieces, the Albuquerque Museum decided to return them to Mexico

Today, the the Albuquerque Museum Foundation (AMF) voluntarily returned 12 Mexican archeological artifacts to the Mexican consulate in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States. According to a preliminary report from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), most of them come from the western part of Mexico and date from between 300 and 600 BC. Among them are a Chalchihuites-style piece, a Tuxcacuesco-Ortices-style piece and a Comala-style effigy vessel from the shaft tomb cultural tradition.

An internal audit conducted by the Foundation in 2022 determined that the origin of the artifacts was not clear, which led to the assumption that they were probably stolen from Mexico in the last half century. The Foundation immediately resolved to return these important items of Mexican heritage.

At today's ceremony, the Mexican consul, Norma Ang, thanked the president of the Foundation, Andrew Rodgers, for his initiative in voluntarily returning the pieces to the people of Mexico. She said that acknowledging and publicizing actions such as the one carried out by the Albuquerque Museum Foundation should raise awareness about the ethics and importance of returning cultural items to a country when they are found outside of its territory without its consent.

These archaeological artifacts are part of the memory and identity of Mexico's original peoples.

In the near future, the 12 archaeological pieces will be repatriated to Mexico for their delivery to the INAH.

The Government of Mexico reaffirms its commitment to playing an active role in strengthening national and international legal frameworks that protect cultural heritage. Mexico invites all private collectors and auction houses abroad that currently have in their possession pieces that are part of Mexico's heritage to join in protecting and safeguarding the nation's cultural heritage, and to return them so they can be studied, conserved and exhibited, given that they bear witness to the identity and memory of the native peoples of Mexico.

Actions such as these give continuity to the efforts being made to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property and to repatriate objects of national heritage that are removed illegally from Mexico. #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende #MyHeritageIsNotForSale