No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArts & CultureCosta Rica archaeologists in awe as Brooklyn Museum returns 1,305 artifacts

Costa Rica archaeologists in awe as Brooklyn Museum returns 1,305 artifacts

An unfinished tombstone, a large ceramic vase painted with beeswax, human representations and ancient tools to process corn are artifacts of a collection of 1,305 pieces that have been returned to Costa Rica.

It is the second time the Brooklyn Museum in New York City has returned pieces, some older than 2,000 years, to the central American country.

Tycoon Minor Keith brought the artifacts, looted during the construction of a railway, to the United States in the 19th or early 20th century, along with shipments of bananas.

Archaeologists in Costa Rica have been in awe since the artifacts arrived at the end of last year.

“The tombstone is a piece we have only seen as illustrations in study books here,” Daniela Meneses, a researcher at the National Museum of Costa Rica, said at a viewing for the media. “It’s amazing to see that piece now. It’s very emotional.”

It is believed to have been part of a tomb of an important person from a now-extinct civilization.

At almost half a meter high, one of the largest pieces in the shipment is a vase, presumably used to store seeds or water; it is adorned with human figures and peculiar geometric lines, painted with beeswax.

There are still more artifacts from Costa Rica in Brooklyn and in other museums in the United States.

But archaeologist Javier Fallas of the state museum highlighted the return as an extraordinary gesture: “We don’t know why they did it, but it’s something very good and atypical in the world.”

Seven years ago, four sites in the southern part of the country were recognized as World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s PPSO Backs Laura Fernández to Continue Rodrigo Chaves’s Agenda

Former Minister of Economy Francisco Gamboa and attorney Douglas Soto will join Laura Fernández for the 2026 elections, representing the Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO),...

Costa Rica Faces Economic Blow as Intel, Pfizer, and Qorvo Announce Restructuring

Intel announced that it will shut down its chip assembly and test plant in Costa Rica, part of a broader global restructuring aimed at...

Remittances to Central America Surge 20% Amid U.S. Deportation Fears

Family remittances in Central America grew by around 20% in the first half of 2025, according to official data—a rise that experts attribute to...

Honduras Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Rise in Respiratory Illnesses

Honduran health officials have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate following a spike in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and a fast-spreading Omicron subvariant known...

Empty Stadiums and Inequality Mar Women’s Copa América

Nearly empty stadiums, players' criticism of the organization, and demands for equality in South American football have marked the 2025 Women's Copa América in...

Nicaragua Places Bayardo Arce Under House Arrest Amid Power Struggle

The Nicaraguan government has placed historic Sandinista commander Bayardo Arce, economic adviser to President Daniel Ortega, under house arrest, according to exiled opposition members...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica