Archaeological pieces and historical books: the spoils of the 1847 war against the United States that returned to Mexico

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Mexico announced that days after the Consulate General of Mexico in New York reported that a war spoils extracted more than ago would be repatriated aged 150 years, all archaeological pieces and historical books are kept in the Directorate of Public Registry of Archaeological and Historical Monuments and Areas of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

It is about twenty pre-Columbian goods made by Mesoamerican cultures, among them an anthropomorphic rock sculpture in the Teotihuacan style. Also a couple of printed volumes from the 17th and 18th centuries that were released during the US Intervention War against Mexico between 1846 and 1848.

The set of archaeological pieces and historical books was repatriated via diplomatic pouch by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs; who arranged the return through the Legal Consultancy of the Foreign Ministry and the Consulate General of Mexico in New York. INAH will make the public registration of susceptible monuments in the Single Public Registry System and then carry out the corresponding research and conservation by the institute's specialists.

The two volumes of books come from the Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA) of New Jersey, which has had a collection since 1933 by a descendant of military man James Wall Schureman. Which he fought in the American invasion in mid-September 1847.

The communiqué mentioned that at the beginning of February this year, a third volume was returned through the same diplomatic channel. All three documents show the same note in English on the first page: “The family of James Wall Schureman Campbell /nephew of James Wall Schureman, first lieutenant in the US Army, serving with General Winfield S. Scott in the war against Mexico/This book taken from a palace in Mexico City”.

The specialist from the INAH Public Registry Directorate, Pablo Daniel López Sánchez, explained that the pre-Hispanic pieces come mainly from the cultural areas of the Gulf Coast and the Central Highlands, and cover a two-millennia time arc, ranging from the Preclassic to the Late Postclassic period.

Among the pieces are two small mortars carved in volcanic rock that come from the Queretano highlands, fragments of stamps and anthropomorphic figurines from the tradition of western Mexican shooting tombs. They are known as “smiley faces” dating from the Mesoamerican Classic period (400-900 AD), said the archaeologist.

In particular, there is one piece that stands out: made of rock, possibly diorite. It has dimensions of 23.5 cm high, 14.5 cm wide and 7.5 cm thick. He is a standing naked male character who wears a headdress and has Teotihuacan features. It was also pointed out that there are three fragmented figurines from the early viceregal era.

“The batch of objects, the product of voluntary refunds, is a sign of a change in mentality and binational cooperation, which has a positive impact on the knowledge of a historical moment that defined the destinies of both countries,” the Government of Mexico stated in the statement.

He also stated that: “The Government of Mexico reaffirms its commitment to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property, as well as to actively participate in strengthening national and international legal frameworks for the protection of cultural heritage.”

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