Illegal shipment of 10th century artifacts seized on their way to SC

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WOLO) – A shipment of 13 ancient artifacts bound for South Carolina were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Kentucky.

It included one skull and 12 “adzes,” which are tools for chopping. (Image courtesy CBP)

According to the CBP, the shipment was arriving from Mexico and was heading to a home in Sumter. An expert in ancient Americas determined that the collection dated back to the Post-classic to the Aztec era, 1100 through 1532 AD. It included one skull and 12 “adzes,” which are tools for chopping.

“I’m extremely proud that our officers were able to stop priceless artifacts from being lost forever,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations-Chicago Field Office. “Customs and Border Protection will continue to use our border authority to identify and rescue precious antiquities being smuggled by those who profit on the theft of historical and cultural property and return them to their rightful owners.”

A statement from the CBP said:

“The Department of Homeland Security enforces the cultural property import restrictions agreed to in bilateral agreements that the United States has concluded with 20 countries and through emergency import restrictions for three additional countries. These bilateral agreements protect cultural property by restricting U.S. import of certain categories of archeological and ethnological material, thus reducing incentive for looting at heritage sites.”

Importers are required to have documents like export permits and receipts when importing these items into the United States.

Since the beginning of fiscal year 2020 to now CBP has recorded 21 seizures of cultural property with a domestic value of over $18 million.