Culture Ministry seeks to block another sale of pre-Columbian artifacts — this time, on eBay

Mexico has erstwhile again intervened successful an attempted merchantability of invaluable artifacts from its pre-Columbian past, and demanded the instrumentality of the objects.

The Culture Ministry denounced the merchantability planned to instrumentality spot connected the online level eBay of 195 archaeological pieces and demanded that the auction by an eBay idiosyncratic successful Orlando, Florida, identified arsenic “Coins Artifacts,” beryllium withdrawn. 

Tras la revisión de anuncios en la plataforma @eBay, especialistas del @INAHmx determinaron que 195 piezas ofertadas por un usuario en Orlando, Florida, lad piezas de origen prehispánico de nuestra nación.

Exhortamos a la suspensión inmediata de su venta y a la devolución de… pic.twitter.com/Iu4QJLsHK2

— Claudia Curiel de Icaza (@ccurieldeicaza) February 27, 2026

“After reviewing listings connected the eBay platform, specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) determined that the 195 pieces offered by a idiosyncratic successful Orlando, Florida, are pre-Hispanic artifacts from our nation,” Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza said successful a station connected X.

INAH’s connection says bluntly that the artifacts beryllium to Mexico. It points retired that the export of specified artifacts has been prohibited since 1827, meaning that their beingness overseas derives from an illicit extraction.

Curiel stated that the Mexican authorities “appeals to morals and respect” for taste practice and calls for the removal of the advertisements from the level and for the adoption of the indispensable measures to forestall their offering and eventual commercialization.

She added that each corresponding ineligible proceedings person been initiated with the purpose of having the pieces repatriated to Mexican territory done authoritative diplomatic and ineligible channels, successful bid to support the taste practice of the country.

Just past week, the Culture Ministry besides demanded the suspension of an in-person auction of 40 archaeological pieces by the Millon Auction House scheduled for Feb. 27 successful Paris, France. 

In a connection pertaining to that case, Curiel urged the auction location to “reflect connected the ethical and motivation codes that should govern the selling of looted taste property, a signifier that contributes to taste dispossession and threatens the representation of peoples.”

Earlier this year, Mexico successfully recovered archaeological artifacts from Portugal, consisting of a pistillate fig from occidental Mexico associated with fertility rituals, a polychrome Maya vas from the Classic play and a Zapotec urn representing the deity Cocijo, deity of rainfall and fertility.

Illicitly traded taste spot is often sold either successful amerciable markets astir the satellite oregon done ineligible avenues specified arsenic nationalist auctions, including online. Many of the artifacts that Mexico has recovered are the effect of a national authorities task unit created successful 2023 that works with section authorities overseas to question judicial redress and halt auctions successful respective countries. 

Mexico News Daily