Notwithstanding laws that make trafficking in pre-columbian artifacts a crime sanctioned by up to twelve years in prison and fines of up to 100,000 pesos, vendors of these types of articles do big business. Sites such as Endless Circle, Palmyra Heritage Gallery and Bend Antiques, all located in the U.S. offer pieces from Jalisco, Nayarit a dn Colima as well as figures from Maya and Azteca cultures.Erica Blanco, in charge of Los Guachimontones archeological zone based in Teuchitlan, Jalisco says that because online sales of these items aren’t punished, the looting of these sites continues unabated.
“Once these pieces leave Mexico, they aren’t protected by law,” she says. “This looting goes on throughout the country, there’s a whole international market moving these figures. In the valley areas that we work in there are people who have lived their whole lives from looting sites. We are trying to erradicate this practice by teaching people [about their heritage].“