The artifacts were recovered by Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Unit.

Almost all Central Valley schoolchildren, amateur historians, culture lovers, and San José tourists have visited downtown’s wonderful Museo de Oro Precolombino (Pre-Colombian Gold Museum), Museo Nacional (National Museum), and the Museo de Jade (Jade Museum). And now, museum lovers can rejoice, as 12 genuine pre-Colombian pieces will be added to the collection, discovered during a police raid.

Looking for clues in a double homicide, police went into a Limón-area home and came out with far more than they had anticipated: 720 hidden pieces were found in the house, which police immediately delivered to archaeologists at the National Museum. After inspection, the experts declared that only 12 of the pieces were originals. Camacho, the property’s owner, was under investigation for the deaths of Jeffry Arnold Lawrence Dunkley, 28, and Jeudi Asbel Mata Sarmiento, 21, who were shot to death in Beverly, Limón.

Says Lady Bonilla, archaeologist for the museum, says that the objects come from the Atlantic zone, and cover a very diverse period of time, from before the birth of Christ to after the Spanish had arrived in Costa Rica. The recovered objects are all farming tools, among them ten axes with two sharp sides on each. The archaeologists also say that frog charms and stone sculptures are of indigenous origin, as well.

The National Museum has already sent the important paperwork to the Ministerio Público (Public Ministry). Marlin Calvo, director for the department of Patrimonio Histórico (Historical Patrimony), confirmed that, like all objects of pre-Colombian origin, all pieces that are obtained after the 1938 formation of the National Museum are the property of the state. The pre-Colombian copies will be returned to their Limón owner. It remains unknown whether Camacho knew that the objects were genuine, and family members told police that they were reproductions only used as decoration.

The recovery of these priceless objects is a coup for the National Museum, which has to deal regularly with individuals trying to illegally sell genuine pre-Colombian artifacts. Indeed, downtown’s three popular museums are filled with treasures from times past, introducing their visitors to exquisite jade jewelry, perfectly formed gold objects, tribal headwear, and ancient tools used to grind grains, cut meat, and perform many other daily chores.

For your pre-Colombian viewing pleasure, we recommend that you visit downtown’s museum trifecta, which is sure to both educate and fascinate your with its history and beautiful artifacts. The Pre-Colombian Gold Museum boasts more than 2,000 pre-Colombian pieces, including gold artifacts that weigh in at more than 22,000 troy ounces. The neighboring Fidel Tristan Jade Museum is world-famous, offering up incredible ceramics, gold artifacts, and a huge collection of jade (and other green stone), most of which has been formed into small figurines or beautiful jewelry fit for a princess. Lastly, the National Museum is a veritable wealth of Costa Rican history, displaying many pre-Colombian farming instruments, gold pieces, jade jewelry, and exhaustive explanations of its contents.

The National Museum is just one of the storehouses for Costa Rica’s rich history, helping create a bridge between early Costa Ricans and their modern counterparts. And though the bounty may seem small, the 12 recently-recovered pre-Colombian artifacts are truly a worthy addition to the National Museum’s collection.

Photo courtesy of La Nacion.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on May 29th, 2008