Mexico recovers over 3,700 archaeological pieces under Sheinbaum administration

Mexico has successfully recovered 3,716 archaeological and historical pieces since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office on October 1, 2024, according to Joel Omar Vázquez Herrera, Director General of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). This significant repatriation effort marks a substantial increase in cultural heritage recovery for the nation.

During a presidential press conference, Vázquez Herrera detailed that the current administration has repatriated ten times more cultural objects than during the entire six-year term of former President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018). The recovered items also represent 68% of the total recovered during Felipe Calderón's administration (2006-2012), highlighting the intensified focus on reclaiming national heritage.

Statistical data shows that the United States remains the primary source country for these repatriated artifacts, with 3,369 pieces returned. Other countries contributing to the recovery include Italy (1,794 items), Canada (133), France (19), and Spain (seven). Vázquez Herrera emphasized that the INAH's institutional program works through ongoing diplomatic dialogue with global governments to "recover, repatriate the memory, the identity of the peoples of Mexico."

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recover, repatriate the memory, the identity of the peoples of Mexico

Among the notable recovered treasures are a Mixtec skull adorned with turquoise mosaics repatriated from the Netherlands, a Mayan carved panel from Yaxchilán depicting ruler Pájaro Jaguar returned from New York, and a basalt sculpture from the Mexica culture that still retains its original pigments. The INAH also highlighted the recovery of a valuable 18th-century Franciscan ceremonial manual, confiscated in Argentina, which the institute considers crucial for fulfilling its mission.

This intensive repatriation campaign aligns with the cultural diplomacy strategy promoted by the Ministry of Culture under the slogan #MiPatrimonioNoSeVende (#MyHeritageIsNotForSale). This global initiative aims to curb international auctions and raise awareness among governments and private collectors about the importance of voluntarily returning historical assets to their communities of origin. Additionally, the INAH reported the renovation of the Teotihuacan site museum with a 7 million peso investment, reopening with a collection where 80% of the pieces are previously unseen, including a 3,500-year-old rubber ball from the Olmec site of El Manatí.

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recover the memory, the identity and, of course, the belonging of the ancient peoples