Pre-Columbian art

‘Thunder floor’ found at ancient Andean site in Peru

Silence of pre-Hispanic past broken with discovery of dance platform that could imitate the rumbling of thunder

Officials in Mexico call on Dutch auction house to halt sale of pre-Columbian artefacts

Some 30 objects in an auction this week are protected by Mexico’s cultural heritage laws, authorities there say

Mexican authorities condemn French auction of pre-Columbian artefacts

In all, 83 artefacts scheduled to be sold in Paris next week are protected under Mexican law, authorities say

Archaeologists in Mexico shed new light on ancient Huastec burial and construction practices

Recent excavations at a site in the state of Tamaulipas included analysis of large earthen mounds that were used for burials and everyday activities

Ancient sculpture likely tied to ritual human sacrifice discovered in Peru

The well-preserved statue is one of the oldest artefacts discovered in the Chan Chan archaeological site

Archeologists in Mexico decipher ancient frieze

The frieze, discovered in Oaxaca in 2018, contains glyphs symbolising themes related to superstition and social hierarchies in the Zapotec and Mixtec cultures

Mexiconews

Mexico attempts to halt German auction of Pre-Colombian artefacts

More than 70 works designated as national heritage are due to be sold in Munich on 21 September

Perunews

Peru’s heritage gets a new $125m home

Museo Nacional del Perú (Muna) boasts a collection of nearly 50,000 Pre- Columbian objects, including repatriated artefacts

Maya stone monuments to be installed in the Met’s Great Hall

The stelae, on loan from Guatemala, feature life-sized depictions of ancient Indigenous leaders

Knife-wielding spider god mural found on ancient Peruvian temple

Farmers extending their fields first accidentally uncovered the site, which archaeologists believe was used by the Cupisnique people for water ceremonies

Undeterred by claims of inauthenticity, Christie's Pre-Columbian sale will go ahead tomorrow

"Christie’s has not been provided with any evidence that would challenge the lawfulness of this sale," a representative says

Zemí Cohoba Stand: an AR experience with exceptional 3D modelling from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

An expert view brought to you by our XR Panel of artists and storytellers who create in virtual reality and augmented reality

Decoded Maya hieroglyphs reveal the name of powerful woman ruler: ‘Lady Yopaat’

After ten years of research, the city of Cobá is revealing its secrets to archaeologists

Christie's Paris to auction scientist Ilya Prigogine's collection of pre-Columbian artefacts

The ritual objects include Mezcala and Chontal sculpture, plus Olmec stone celts

A golden age in the Americas when even artists were 'spoils of war'

Indigenous peoples valued luxury objects more as tools of statecraft and for communicating with the divine than for their precious metals

Interviewarchive

Interview with dealer Santo Micali on finding new markets for pre-Columbian art

Argentina, Mexico and Brazil could be the future for a field struggling with limited supply

Collectorsarchive

Collector profile: Jan Mitchell's antiquities and the search for "the philosopher’s stone"

The man behind the Mitchell Prize, awarded last month, is also a major collector of Pre-Columbian gold sculpture