Mexico receives precious Olmec civilization relic after more than 50 years of searching

The ceramic relief weighs 1 ton, measures 1.8m x 1.5m and is nearly 3,000 years old. (Photo: VNA)

On May 19, Mexico received the Fauces de la Tierra relief - an extremely important artifact of the ancient Olmec civilization that the country has spent more than half a century searching for around the world .

The reception of Fauces de la Tierra (Jaws of the Earth) took place in Denver, Colorado (USA), the location where this nearly 3,000-year-old ceramic relief was found in a private collection.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard stated that this is a meaningful event because the recovery of Fauces de la Tierra helps the Mexican people find the souls of their ancestors from thousands of years ago, like a long-healed wound. This is considered one of the biggest events in decades related to the collection and preservation of historical artifacts.

According to the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), measuring 1.8 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, Fauces de la Tierra depicts the face of a jaguar with a wide mouth in the shape of a large cave. Around the relief are carvings in the typical style of the Olmec - one of the greatest civilizations that existed thousands of years ago on the plains of Central America.

The artifact was discovered by a farmer in Morelos, a state that borders Mexico City to the south, after digging up his garden. The farmer is believed to have sold the nearly 1-ton relief to a collector. The relief then passed through many hands until it was illegally shipped to the United States in 1968.

According to American Antiquity, an American magazine specializing in antiquities, Fauces de la Tierra was displayed at the New York Museum of Art from 1968 to 1994. It is unclear why the relief was later moved to Colorado.

Collecting and preserving historical artifacts is one of the top priorities of the administration of Mexican President López Obrador.

Since assuming office in 2018, Mr. Obrador has asked Mexican diplomatic missions abroad to conduct campaigns to find the country's lost artifacts from different historical periods.

In addition, the Mexican Government has for many years increased global propaganda about Mexico's rich history and culture, thereby contributing to convincing governments of many countries as well as individual collectors to proactively return the antiquities of this Latin American country.

According to INAH, in nearly 5 years under President Obrador, Mexico has received 11,505 antiquities, including many valuable historical artifacts that have been displayed in famous museums as well as in private collections around the world.

VNA