Decades-old antiquities retrieved from Seattle are now being sent back to Mexico, as confirmed by Homeland Security authorities.
In January of 2022, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office in Seattle received word that a resident there was in possession of 36 ancient artifacts that had come from Chiapas, Mexico. A representative from the HSI office told CNN that the individual, who was related to the person who had originally acquired the items, informed them that they wished to return them.
As a result, these artifacts are now moving closer to their country of origin.
Recently, representatives from the HSI special agents presented these ancient artifacts at the Mexican Consulate in Seattle and officially handed them over to Mexican government officials, according to CNN affiliate KING 5. The age of the objects and figurines in the collection couldn't be determined with any certainty, the HSI informed CNN, but they're thought to be thousands of years old.
Héctor Iván Godoy Priske, the head consul of Mexico in Seattle, stated at the repatriation ceremony, "These things—they were Mexican before Mexico was Mexico." Special Agent Robert Hammer also commented, "These things have been passed along from family to family; these things have obviously been on the earth for almost 2,000 years."
Numerous people have chosen, over the years, to return these items when they found they shouldn't have them. Since 2007, HSI has assisted in repatriating more than 20,000 objects, including objects of historical value, fossils, and art, to more than 40 countries and institutions across the globe.
This most recent repatriation event is not the only one occurring in the country. In March, the FBI returned stolen artifacts discovered in a Massachusetts attic to Japan. More recently, CNN shared the news that the Cleveland Museum of Art will return a stone statue to Libya.
The return of these artifacts may provide information about Mexico's past, Godoy Priske suggested to KING 5, as well as illuminate how they ended up in Seattle.
"I think there was more of a laissez-faire attitude towards archaeological objects in the early 1900s, which means that many very valuable pieces left Mexico and found their way into the hands of private individuals," Godoy Priske pointed out.
These artifacts have already been the subject of media attention in the past: In 1960, a local newspaper, The Sunday News Tribune, included an article titled, "2 Lakewood Explorers Find Artifacts on Mexican Trip." This piece mentioned that Tacoma explorer Arnold Snell had brought the items from "the remote Chiapas province in Mexico."
Godoy Priske commented, "We now recognize that there was violence enacted on our indigenous population by the Spanish conquistadors. There was a massive destruction of Mesoamerican artifacts during Mexico's history. Being able to recover these artifacts helps close that gap."
The Mexican Consulate in Seattle shared that Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History will be the one to decide what happens to the returned artifacts, but due to their historical significance, it's likely they'll be exhibited in a museum.
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In discussing the repatriation of the ancient artifacts, Special Agent Robert Hammer noted, "The style and craftsmanship of these items are a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Mexico." Later, Héctor Iván Godoy Priske, the Mexican consul, expressed his hope that the return of these artifacts could inspire "further appreciation and preservation of Mexico's ancient styles and traditions."
