The Government of Costa Rica, through a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship and the National Museum, has completed the repatriation of 11 pre-Columbian archaeological artifacts from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The recovery of the pieces was made possible by the voluntary restitution from a Dutch citizen, who contacted the Embassy of Costa Rica in The Hague to hand over a collection that had belonged to his family. This act of good faith initiated the diplomatic and technical process to ensure the safe return of the heritage to the country.

The lot of artifacts includes ceramic vessels, statuettes, and other stone objects, whose characteristics suggest they originate from various archaeological regions of Costa Rica, such as the Greater Nicoya and the Atlantic Watershed. According to preliminary analyses by the National Museum, the pieces correspond to different periods, spanning from 300 A.D. to 1550 A.D.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Arnoldo André Tinoco, highlighted the importance of international cooperation and expressed gratitude for the citizen’s gesture, stating that “the recovery of cultural heritage is a priority for Costa Rica, and every piece that returns home is a fragment of our history that is reintegrated into the nation.”

The 11 pieces are now in the custody of the National Museum, where they will undergo a formal process of registration, analysis, and quarantine. Subsequently, they will be incorporated into the national collection for preservation, study, and potential future exhibition to the public.