By Julio César
Mexico has received 1,132 pre-Hispanic archaeological artifacts voluntarily returned in Boston after a process involving academic institutions.
Mexico has received the voluntary return of 1,132 pre-Hispanic archaeological artifacts in Boston, Massachusetts, a collection identified by specialists as part of Mexico’s cultural heritage and originating in the country’s southeast.
The artifacts were formally handed over at the Consulate General of Mexico in Boston following a process coordinated by Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The collection is one of the largest archaeological groups received by the consular office in recent years.
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According to an assessment conducted by INAH specialists, the objects are pre-Hispanic in origin and form part of Mexico’s cultural heritage. The collection covers different periods, and documentation provided to the consulate by Professor Pilver will be used to establish dates and other information relevant to archaeological research.
What was returned to Mexico?
The collection consists largely of ceramic materials, along with other objects associated with pre-Hispanic societies from southeastern Mexico.
Among the returned artifacts are 1,053 ceramic fragments that were smoothed, modeled, painted or incised, most of them originally used for domestic purposes. The collection also includes two complete spindle whorls, 18 figurine fragments, three pieces of wood, nine obsidian flakes and 11 flint flakes.
Other objects include an incomplete metamorphic-rock plaque, three stone polishing tools and a fragment of a stone plaque. The collection also contains 36 shark teeth.
INAH specialists determined that the group is pre-Hispanic and originated in southeastern Mexico. Because the artifacts span different periods, the documentation concerning their provenance will be used to refine their classification and establish more precise chronological information.
The material may ultimately serve as a comparative academic sample for archaeological research and for further study of the region’s pre-Hispanic heritage.
More than 40 students took part in the process
The return also had an educational component. For nearly two years, more than 40 high school students participated in the preparation of the collection for its return to Mexico.
Their work included classification, surface cleaning, cataloging, preparation of an inventory and digital database, photographic documentation, record keeping and professional packing.
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The students’ involvement added an academic dimension to the restitution process. Rather than being limited to the physical transfer of the artifacts, the project gave them hands-on experience with procedures used to document and prepare archaeological materials.
The process was coordinated by the Consulate General of Mexico in Boston in close cooperation with INAH and Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as academic institutions in the New England region.
Editor-in-Chief: Julio César. Journalist with more than 15 years of experience researching and developing specialized content for print and digital media in Mexico and Latin America.
IG: @imjucesar // LinkedIn: @imjucesar
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