Foreign Ministry delivers to INAH 46 archaeological artifacts recovered by the Mexican consulate in Houston

Foreign Ministry delivers to INAH 46 archaeological artifacts recovered by the Mexican consulate in Houston

• The artifacts come from various cultures of western Mexico, and date from the Pre-Classic (500 B.C.-100 A.D.) and Classic (100-600 A.D.) periods.
• This administration has recovered more than 13,500 Mexican archaeological and historical monuments.

Today, the Office of the Legal Advisor at the Foreign Ministry delivered 46 archaeological artifacts to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). These pieces, recovered by the Mexican consulate in Houston, Texas, in the United States, are part of the nation's cultural heritage, under the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historic Monuments and Zones.

INAH analyses establish that the pieces belong to various cultures from western Mexico, and that they date from the Preclassic (500 B.C.-100 A.D.) and Classic (100-600 A.D.) periods.

Among the pieces are several anthropomorphic figures and two Comala-style dog vessels from western Mexico that date from the classic Mesoamerican period (100-600 A.D.).

This achievement is the result of Mexico's efforts to repatriate the country's cultural heritage, through strategies such as the #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende (My Heritage Is Not for Sale) campaign, which have led individuals and institutions to voluntarily return items when they become aware of how important it is for Mexico to preserve its cultural and historical heritage. Strategic partnerships with foreign authorities have also resulted in seizures and cancelled auctions.

The Mexican Government, in collaboration with areas such as the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, INAH, the Attorney General's Office, the National Guard and the National Customs Agency, has arranged for the return of more than 13,500 archaeological and historical pieces during this administration, with the aim of strengthening our national identity, protecting and preserving the nation's cultural legacy, and promoting the cultural rights of our indigenous communities.