PHOENIX — Pre-Columbian Chinesco-Western pottery figures dating as far back as 100 B.C., and originally from what is now a northwest part of Mexico, somehow ended up in the Chandler Museum.
But that's now changed.
In 2013, while the ownership of the museum was transitioning from the Chandler Historical Society to the City of Chandler, 10 shaft tomb figurines were discovered during an inventory check.
The museum’s director said the artifacts were likely donated to the Historical Society over the years.
“Often time, these things are passed down from generation to generation. The origin and how it got into their possession are often gray and very murky,” said Lon Weigand, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Phoenix.
The Chandler Museum handed over the artifacts to Weigand and his investigators who brought in researchers to authenticate the pieces and determined they need to be returned to Mexico.
The shaft tomb artifacts believed to accompany deceased individuals during a last rite of passage were handed over to the Mexican Consulate in Nogales by Homeland Security Investigators on Tuesday.
“There’s a benefit both ways. It demonstrates goodwill on the part of the United States. Also, provides the receiving government with an item they’ll be able to treasure for the foreseeable future,” said Weigand.