Six pre-Columbian pieces belonging to Nariño´s culture between 800 and 1200 Before Christ that were seized in Miami were handed over by the Homeland Security Office from the Embassy of the United States in Bogotá to the Attorney General’s Office who at the same time, officially delivered them to the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH -Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia) as part of the historical heritage of the nation.
Among the pieces, there were three (3) cups and three (3) ceramic vessels that were examined by two experts from the Archaeology Laboratory at ICANH. This examination was carried out taking into account the criteria of general typology, surface finish and design in order to determine the authenticity of the pieces.
Currently, the National Directorate for Specialized Judicial Police is conducting the investigations for crimes against cultural heritage and is trying to establish who would be responsible for the shipment of these pieces. According to the information, the pieces were inside some parcels in the cargo area which were examined with a scanner to confirm their contents. Subsequently, the relevant procedures for their repatriation pursuant to the Political Constitution of Colombia were carried out.
The official ceremony to hand over the repatriated pieces was attended by the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Jorge Fernando Perdomo Torres; the United States Ambassador in Colombia, Kevin Whitaker; Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombia, Carlos Arturo Morales López; Director of Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Culture, Juan Luis Isaza; and the Director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (in spanish Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia), Fabian Sanabria.
The Deputy Assistant Attorney General stressed the importance of the return of these items and the joint work with the US Embassy since “much of the information we have about the evolution of mankind is thanks to “testimony provided by documents, archaeological and paleontological pieces and cave paintings, among others. Those pieces that have remained in time for thousands or millions of years cannot be valued since they are vestiges of the humankind. Therefore, it is stated that they constitute the cultural heritage. It means that they belong to everyone.”
He also highlighted the term stipulated by the United Nations: “the term cultural heritage is often defined as our legacy from the past, our luggage in the present and the legacy we are going to preserve for future generations so they can learn, wonder and enjoy it.