Pieces from a 1,500-year-old archaeological collection return to Panama from the Netherlands.
Panamanian authorities have received a set of archaeological artifacts dating back up to 1,500 years . These artifacts were part of a Dutch family's private collection , having been collected by the grandfather during his travels through Latin America in the 20th century, according to the Panamanian Foreign Ministry.
Archaeological artifacts from the Feriz collection, collected by the Austro-Dutch physician Hans Feriz during his travels through Latin America in the 20th century. Photo: Ministry of Culture of Panama." Our origins are embedded in the legacy of our ancestors . Each cultural piece is a living testament to their creativity, their beliefs, and their worldview. Recovering them is not only an act of historical justice, but also a commitment to preserving our identity and to future generations who will inherit this legacy," said Sally Loo Hui, Panama's ambassador to the Netherlands.
The delivered lot "includes decorated pottery vessels, plates, and handles estimated to be between 950 and 1,500 years old" that contain "very valuable information about the social systems and beliefs of the ancestors who populated the country," according to a statement from the Panamanian Foreign Ministry.
Archaeological artifacts from the Feriz collection, collected by the Austro-Dutch physician Hans Feriz during his travels through Latin America in the 20th century. Photo: Ministry of Culture of Panama.The archaeological pieces were part of the "Feriz collection" , an Austro-Dutch doctor and archaeology enthusiast who collected and collected objects during his travels through Latin America in the mid-20th century.
They were returned to Panama "thanks to the decision" of the doctor's grandson , according to official information.
Some of these pieces "were donated or sold in the 1950s to the then Royal Institute of the Tropics , now the Wereldmuseum in Amsterdam," the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement emphasized.
The Panamanian ambassador, high-ranking officials from the Dutch government, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives from academia were present at the return ceremony.
In 2024, Panama was able to exhibit 13 pre-Columbian archaeological pieces from Canada, dating from 800 to 1,500 AD.
And in August 2022, it recovered 343 pieces of pre-Hispanic pottery from the Netherlands , in what was at the time called the "largest repatriation of archaeological treasures in the history of Central America."
Clarin
