Mexico City, Mexico — The Mexican Consulate in Montreal has returned more than 200 archaeological artifacts to the country. The pieces were recently returned by a Mexican citizen living in Canada.
The Government of Mexico, through its Consulate General in Montreal, Canada, received in restitution 257 pieces of archaeological origin. The pieces were voluntarily handed over by Mexican citizen Susana Zarco Carón, who has resided in Canada since 1968.
At the restitution ceremony, the Consul General of Mexico in Montreal, Víctor Treviño Escudero, acknowledged and thanked Mrs. Zarco Carón for her interest in returning this set of heritage items to Mexico.
Based on a report issued by specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), an institution of the federal Ministry of Culture, it has been established that the archaeological assets handed over are the property of the Mexican nation in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Zones.
Of the 257 pieces, an analysis determined that 256 are movable archaeological monuments originating from various Mesoamerican civilizations with dates that begin in the Classic period (200-900 AD) and end in the Postclassic period (1200-1521 AD). The remaining piece is of a historical nature.
The 257 archaeological pieces will join the more than 13,500 recovered within the framework of the My Heritage is Not For Sale strategy, through which the Government of Mexico has reaffirmed its commitment to recover, safeguard and disseminate cultural heritage that has been illegally looted.
