The Ministry of Culture and the INAH expressed their rejection of the sale.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the federal Ministry of Culture expressed their rejection of the sale of 70 pre-Hispanic fragments and pieces that are offered on the AuctionNinja portal, through the Moving & Estate Sales online auction, scheduled for finish this day
Both agencies reported that “after reviewing the images of the three lots at auction, INAH specialists issued an opinion on archeology, in which they concluded that 70 pieces and fragments are pre-Hispanic assets and are part of Mexico’s cultural heritage.” , protected by the Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Zones”.
These are parts of figurines, vessels, anthropomorphic sculptures, and vessel supports, from the central Mexican highlands and dating from the Preclassic period (600 BC to AD 200), as well as Teotihuacano, Mexica, Cholultec, Zapotec, Mixtec, from the Mayan area and an ammonite fossil with a minimum age of 70 million years.
Faced with this situation, the head of Culture, Alejandra Frausto, sent a letter to the sales portal, expressing her resounding disapproval of the auction, “which contributes to cultural dispossession and threatens the memory of the peoples.”