Olmec statue of 'Earth Monster' returned to Mexico by US

The archaeological site of Chalcatzingo in Mexico from which this archaeological piece comes (Illustration image). © Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 3.0 Michellerubick

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The United States has returned to Mexico a giant stone statue, known as the "Earth Monster," dating back to the pre-Columbian Olmec civilization, Mexican authorities have announced.

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It is "the most sought-after Olmec coin in the country," according to the Mexican government. And she will soon return home, after decades of wandering. The meticulously carved statue weighs more than a ton and measures nearly 1.8 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said in a statement.

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Our consul Jorge Islas in New York confirms to me that Mexico's most wanted Olmec coin has been recovered and is about to return home, from where it should never have left in the first place. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard tweeted.

Me confirma nuestro Cónsul Jorge Islas desde Nueva York que la pieza Olmeca más buscada por Mexico ha sido recuperada y está a punto de retornar a su casa, de donde nunca debió ser sustraída. pic.twitter.com/WWQ4H0eOE7

— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) March 31, 2023

A bas-relief from the site of Chalcatzingo

Known as Monument 9 of Chalcatzingo and discovered in the Mexican state of Morelos (center), the bas-relief piece would represent a "monster of the Earth", a creature that often appears in Olmec iconography, according to INAH. The open jaw of the room symbolizes access to the underworld and "on its mouth is projected a sequence of three concentric stripes, representing cruciform access to a cave," the institute added.

The Olmec civilization preceded those of the Mayans and Aztecs, and its craftsmen were known for carving colossal stone heads, statues, and vertical slabs. The institute estimated that the statue was created between 800 and 400 BCE.

Although it is not known when or how it was illegally taken at Chalcatzingo, "it is established that it was unveiled to the public in 1968, by archaeologist David Grove, in the journal American Antiquity. From there, it is estimated that at the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century, it was already in the United States," the statement said. New York authorities have found the sculpture, but the document does not specify where.

As part of the Mexican government's efforts to save historical heritage that has emerged from the country, nearly 10,000 properties have been recovered since 2018, authorities said.

► Read also: The culture of the Olmecs online and at the Quai Branly museum

(

With AFP)

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  • Mexico
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  • Archaeology