After being stolen from Mexico in the late 1950s, the ancient Olmec artefact known as "Gateway to the Underworld," has been returned to its homeland. The piece, also referred to as the Monument 9 of Chalcatzingo arrived in Mexico on a Mexican Air Force plane on Friday (May 19), following a repatriation operation supervised by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

The "Portal of the Underworld" holds historical and cultural importance for Mexico as it reaffirms the significance of the Olmec civilisation as one of the world's earliest and most remarkable civilisations.

The repatriation event was attended by notable figures, including Colorado Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, Chief Officer for North America Roberto Velasco, Consul General of Mexico in Denver Pavel Hernández, Consul General of Mexico in New York Jorge Islas, and INAH archaeologist Mario Córdova.

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Considered Mexico's most sought-after piece from the Olmec civilisation, Monument 9 as per Reuters depicts the Chalcatzingo hill in central Mexico. Carved in volcanic stone, it stands 1.8 metres (5 feet) tall and 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) wide. Experts believe it belongs to the Mid-Pre-Classic period, dating back to 800-400 BC.

As per the Government of Mexico website, "The approximately 2,500-year-old monument was for decades Mexico's number one priority&nbsp;in terms of recovering its historical heritage."

<h2>The importance of the&nbsp;'Portal of the underworld'&nbsp;</h2>

The artefact was reportedly taken out of Mexico and eventually discovered in the United States in the 1960s. It was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York from 1970 to 1971.&nbsp;

"The piece has great meaning for our conception of ourselves... What is being restored to us explains where we come from, and that it is part of the heritage of the Mexican people," said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

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He explained that "the piece confirms the importance of the Olmec civilization, one of the oldest and most outstanding civilizations of the world. One of the first civilizations that developed writing, and the zero."

The artefact will be exhibited in Morelos and will allow the Mexican people to connect with their past and heritage.

<h2>Olmec civilisation</h2>

The Olmec civilisation, one of the oldest in Mesoamerica, thrived between 1200 and 400 BC. It is renowned for its complex culture; the Olmecs played a pivotal role in shaping the region's worldview and political organization. It is also considered to be one of the first civilisations to develop writing and the number zero.&nbsp;

Foreign Secretary Ebrard emphasised the successful cooperation between Mexico and the United States in the repatriation process, highlighting the positive outcomes achieved through joint efforts.&nbsp;

"We have done this with the United States, which shows that when we work together we achieve results; this is testimony that Mexico-U.S. cooperation can be extraordinary," he said adding that the return of the "Portal of the Underworld" is a testament to the priority given by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Dr Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller to the preservation and recovery of Mexico's cultural heritage.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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After being stolen from Mexico in the late 1950s, the ancient Olmec artefact known as "Gateway to the Underworld," has been returned to its homeland. The piece, also referred to as the Monument 9 of Chalcatzingo arrived in Mexico on a Mexican Air Force plane on Friday (May 19), following a repatriation operation supervised by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

After being stolen from Mexico in the late 1950s, the ancient Olmec artefact known as "Gateway to the Underworld," has been returned to its homeland. The piece, also referred to as the Monument 9 of Chalcatzingo arrived in Mexico on a Mexican Air Force plane on Friday (May 19), following a repatriation operation supervised by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. The "Portal of the Underworld" holds historical and cultural importance for Mexico as it reaffirms the significance of the Olmec civilisation as one of the world's earliest and most remarkable civilisations. The repatriation event was attended by notable figures, including Colorado Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, Chief Officer for North America Roberto Velasco, Consul General of Mexico in Denver Pavel Hernández, Consul General of Mexico in New York Jorge Islas, and INAH archaeologist Mario Córdova. Also read | Bird flu 'fowls' the mood, kills nearly 9,000 marine creatures in Chile, France develops vaccine for ducks Considered Mexico's most sought-after piece from the Olmec civilisation, Monument 9 as per Reuters depicts the Chalcatzingo hill in central Mexico. Carved in volcanic stone, it stands 1.8 metres (5 feet) tall and 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) wide. Experts believe it belongs to the Mid-Pre-Classic period, dating back to 800-400 BC. As per the Government of Mexico website, "The approximately 2,500-year-old monument was for decades Mexico's number one priority in terms of recovering its historical heritage." The importance of the 'Portal of the underworld' The artefact was reportedly taken out of Mexico and eventually discovered in the United States in the 1960s. It was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York from 1970 to 1971. "The piece has great meaning for our conception of ourselves... What is being restored to us explains where we come from, and that it is part of the heritage of the Mexican people," said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. Also read | Berlin police to investigate Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for inciting hatred by donning ‘Nazi-style’ uniform He explained that "the piece confirms the importance of the Olmec civilization, one of the oldest and most outstanding civilizations of the world. One of the first civilizations that developed writing, and the zero." The artefact will be exhibited in Morelos and will allow the Mexican people to connect with their past and heritage. Olmec civilisation The Olmec civilisation, one of the oldest in Mesoamerica, thrived between 1200 and 400 BC. It is renowned for its complex culture; the Olmecs played a pivotal role in shaping the region's worldview and political organization. It is also considered to be one of the first civilisations to develop writing and the number zero. Foreign Secretary Ebrard emphasised the successful cooperation between Mexico and the United States in the repatriation process, highlighting the positive outcomes achieved through joint efforts. "We have done this with the United States, which shows that when we work together we achieve results; this is testimony that Mexico-U.S. cooperation can be extraordinary," he said adding that the return of the "Portal of the Underworld" is a testament to the priority given by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Dr Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller to the preservation and recovery of Mexico's cultural heritage. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Mexico's Olmec 'Portal of the Underworld' returns home after five decades in US

Indian police tracked down a Chinese woman on Thursday (December 29) in Gaya, a Buddhist pilgrim centre in the eastern state of Bihar. She was believed to be a "Chinese spy" and a potential threat to the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.&nbsp;

The local police had released a sketch of the woman, who was identified as Song Xiaolan. Her presence at the Buddhist pilgrim town of Bodh Gaya sparked security concerns as the arrest coincided with Dalai Lama's Bodh Gaya visit.&nbsp;

However, intelligence officers probed her and didn't find any evidence linking her to alleged espionage, a senior Bihar police officer said on Thursday evening as per media reports.&nbsp;

Bihar’s additional director general (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said, "There is no evidence to indicate that she was a spy".&nbsp;

Harpreet Kaur, who is the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Gaya told the news agency PTI that the foreign national was picked up from a guest house. After the initial probe, she turned out to be an ardent follower of the Buddhist preacher.&nbsp;

Previously, it was reported that Song was plotting to harm the Tibetan spiritual leader, with Kaur stating that suspicion of her being a "Chinese spy" can't be ruled out.&nbsp;

As quoted, Kaur now said, "A search was launched for her after an intimation from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office at Kolkata that she had violated visa norms that allowed her to stay for not more than 90 days at a stretch."&nbsp;

Kaur added that the Chinse woman has been in India since October 2019. She went to Nepal in January 2020 for four days and upon return to India and settled in McLeod Ganj—a suburb of Dharamshala in the Kangra district of the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.&nbsp;

The SSP added, "She was accompanied by another woman from Nepal whom she had met in Dharamshala. The Nepalese woman has also been taken into custody for interrogation".&nbsp;

The police officer then confirmed that the Chinese national's visa has been cancelled by FRRO and she has been slapped with a "Leave India" notice. Song will be sent to the Indian capital New Delhi for repatriation.&nbsp;

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Indian police tracked down a Chinese woman on Thursday (December 29) in Gaya, a Buddhist pilgrim centre in the eastern state of Bihar. She was believed to be a "Chinese spy" and a potential threat to the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

Indian police tracked down a Chinese woman on Thursday (December 29) in Gaya, a Buddhist pilgrim centre in the eastern state of Bihar. She was believed to be a "Chinese spy" and a potential threat to the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. The local police had released a sketch of the woman, who was identified as Song Xiaolan. Her presence at the Buddhist pilgrim town of Bodh Gaya sparked security concerns as the arrest coincided with Dalai Lama's Bodh Gaya visit. However, intelligence officers probed her and didn't find any evidence linking her to alleged espionage, a senior Bihar police officer said on Thursday evening as per media reports. Bihar’s additional director general (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said, "There is no evidence to indicate that she was a spy". Harpreet Kaur, who is the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Gaya told the news agency PTI that the foreign national was picked up from a guest house. After the initial probe, she turned out to be an ardent follower of the Buddhist preacher. Previously, it was reported that Song was plotting to harm the Tibetan spiritual leader, with Kaur stating that suspicion of her being a "Chinese spy" can't be ruled out. As quoted, Kaur now said, "A search was launched for her after an intimation from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office at Kolkata that she had violated visa norms that allowed her to stay for not more than 90 days at a stretch." Kaur added that the Chinse woman has been in India since October 2019. She went to Nepal in January 2020 for four days and upon return to India and settled in McLeod Ganj—a suburb of Dharamshala in the Kangra district of the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. The SSP added, "She was accompanied by another woman from Nepal whom she had met in Dharamshala. The Nepalese woman has also been taken into custody for interrogation". The police officer then confirmed that the Chinese national's visa has been cancelled by FRRO and she has been slapped with a "Leave India" notice. Song will be sent to the Indian capital New Delhi for repatriation. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

A Chinese woman, suspected to be a spy, detained in India, to be repatriated

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