Peru sues Yale for return of artifacts

[Mark]

The Republic of Peru has filed a federal lawsuit demanding that Yale University return a collection of historic Incan artifacts taken from Machu Picchu and surrounding areas by a Yale scholar nearly 100 years ago.

Hiram Bingham III dug up mummies, human bones, pottery, utensils and art and brought them to the university under conditions set by the Peruvian government that the items would be returned.

Some, but not all of the items, were returned.

"The most valuable and archaeologically significant artifacts ... were never returned to Peru and remain in the custody of Yale," the lawsuit states.

Yale representatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Some of the demands in the lawsuit, filed Dec. 5 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., include a declaration that Peru has legal ownership of the property and a request for profits gained from exhibitions.

Peru's most recent effort to recover the artifacts began in 2001. A tentative agreement was reached in September 2007, in which Yale agreed to recognize Peru's ownership of the artifacts and promised to return 300 museum-quality pieces.

The agreement broke down several months later over a dispute over bone fragments and other items Yale wanted to keep for scientific study for up to 99 years.

Bingham conducted three expeditions to Peru. The first, funded by Yale in 1911, violated Peruvian laws because it was conducted without special permission from the government, according to the lawsuit.

Two other expeditions were conducted with support from the National Geographic Society and with permission from Peru.

The National Geographic Society, which helped fund Bingham's expeditions, is in support of Peru, saying Bingham and others involved in the expeditions were aware of the Peruvian laws.


Source: The Hartfort Courant