In a joint effort between Mexican and Italian officials, 12 pre-Hispanic artifacts were recovered in Italy and returned to Mexico, according to a press statement released by the Attorney General of Mexico.
Diego Prieto, the Technical Minister of the National Institute of Anthropology and History said that the recovery means a lot to Mexico.
“These pieces are symbolic of our country's diverse origins, our roots, and our pride of being descendants of civilizations that have profound and ancestral roots, and of which we still don't know a lot about but are learning more about every day,” said Prieto during an event held in celebration of the recovery.
The pieces were found in Reggio Calabria y Ancona in Italy by agents of the country's Cultural Heritage Protection Agency and turned over to the Mexican embassy in Italy on October 11.
