Mexico recovered an archaeological piece that was in Austria in the hands of a collector

The Ministries of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the Mexican embassy in Austria acquired an archaeological piece “that was in the hands of an anonymous collector”. It is a “fragment of a column weighing approximately 26 kilos, which was extracted from the archaeological site of Santa Rosa Xtampak, Campeche”.

The information was released on March 16, 2022 through a statement, in the document it is detailed that the sculpture could be returned thanks to the intervention of the professor “Austrian Mesoamericanist, Karl-Herbert Mayer” and the Mexican Ambassador to Austria, Luis Javier Campuzano Piña.

In addition, it was explained that the Government of Mexico is adjusting all the details regarding the transfer of this piece to the Mexican Republic. Once the object has arrived in the country, it will be recorded and safeguarded so that it remains in conservation.

Likewise, the importance of such acts was emphasized, as it is a way of contributing to “awareness for the voluntary return to Mexico of patrimonial property that is outside the national territory and that were extracted from the country without the knowledge of the Mexican authorities”.

The secretariats involved, along with the Mexican embassy in Austria and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), expressed their appreciation to the person who returned the piece. A call was also made for “private collectors abroad who currently hold pieces that are part of the heritage in possession, as well as auction houses, to join in the protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage”.

Finally, the Government of Mexico reaffirmed its commitment to “collaborate at the international level to achieve the restitution of cultural property”. It was also stressed that work would continue to be done to eradicate the sale and trafficking of any Mexican cultural relic found in other countries.

It should be noted that the territorial authorities have launched the #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende campaign, with the aim of “discouraging interest in buying and raising awareness that this type of archaeological pieces are not ornaments or luxury items”, since they are objects of great social, historical and identity value which safeguard the memory of the indigenous peoples of Mexico.

*Information in development

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