22 Archeological Relics to be Returned to Mexico
The month of May has brought upon exciting archeological news regarding tokens of Mexican archeology, which will be returned to Mexico by the Mexican Cultural Center (MCC) in Philadelphia. These tokens consist of 22 archeological pieces which represent a variety of Mesoamerican cultures found in western and central Mexico, as recorded by the National Institute of Anthropology and History in a preliminary report about the pieces. It was also found that the creation of these pieces date back to 400 BC (Preclassic Mesoamerican) to 1521 AD (Postclassic Mesoamerican). As Philadelphia gains prominence as a global world heritage site, the return of Mexico’s artifacts demonstrates the growing attention to the preservation of world heritage in the repatriation of the country’s archeological pieces.
Full of history and rich in Mexican cultural heritage, these pieces are being rightfully returned to Mexico, with the Consulate of Mexico, Carlos Obrador Garrido, arriving in Philadelphia this past month to overlook this monumental process. The pieces were given to the Mexican Cultural Center by the family of Leonard Landau, an avid art collector who had an especially fond appreciation of Mexican archeology. It was his love and admiration for Mexican art and culture that compelled him to collect these pieces, but since his passing, Landau’s family have since decided to return the archeological artifacts back to their country of origin through the MCC.
Mexico holds an abundance of cultural heritage through its intricate language, history, gastronomy, and architecture, and is home to 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic town of the Alamos and the historic city of Teotihuacan. The return of these archeological artifacts is a symbol of the growing call to protect and preserve the authenticity of world heritage sites around the world, as well as returning history to its rightful home. With the abundance of stolen artifacts from Latin America and Africa on display in Western museums, it is refreshing to witness the return of Mexico’s history.
The awareness surrounding Mexican cultural heritage as well as the desire to return such heritage back to Mexico is being headed by the secretaries of culture and foreign affairs, with help from embassies and consulates all over the world. With aims to promote Philadelphia’s world heritage and connect Philadelphia with other heritage sites around the world, GPA aims to highlight this special moment in Mexican history as the interconnection of nations under a common goal to preserve and protect history and share it with the world.
