WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) -- The United States and Honduras have signed an agreement to protect pre-Columbian archaeological material in that country, the State Department said Tuesday.
The agreement was signed by the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Larry L. Palmer and Foreign Minister Leonidas Rosa Bautista in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa.
The Honduran government submitted a written request to the United States three years ago, seeking its help to prevent the smuggling of Honduran artifacts to North America.
The agreement recognizes that the pre-Columbian heritage of
Honduras is in jeopardy from pillaging. It enables the imposition of import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological material ranging in date from 1200 B.C. to 1500 A.D.
It is hoped the agreement will protect pre-Columbian archaeological material that includes objects made of ceramic, metal, stone, shell and animal bone. This material is representative of the cultures of pre-Columbian Honduras that include the Maya, Chorti Maya, Lenca, Jicaque and Pipil cultures.
The government of Honduras sought U.S. assistance under a U.N. convention that prohibits the export, transfer and ownership of cultural property.
Honduras is one of the most significant archaeological regions in southern Mesoamerica and lower Central America. The degradation of its prehistoric record began many years ago, but has increased significantly in the last 10 years. Archeological experts say that the pillaging not only damages artifacts but also destroys the cultural heritage of the nation the artifacts are stolen from.
Hondura has a unique archeological treasure, reflecting all time periods in Mesoamerica, a term coined to depict the ancient cultures of the American continents.
Archeological finds in Honduras show cultural links to the ancient civilizations of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, traditionally viewed as outside of Mesoamerica. It is such ties that make the ancient Honduran culture unique. Ancient treasures of this country also are of key significance for those who study the old cultures of this region. Parts of western Honduras are considered areas of ancient Mesoamerica, reflecting the dominance of the Maya culture over the entire area.
It was the pillaging of archeological sites in Honduras that forced the governments of Honduras and the United States to reach an agreement to prevent the destruction of the Honduran culture, the State Department said.
The Honduran government had complained that continued pillaging had disturbed the context of otherwise intact sites, depriving scientific research of important information about the cultures of Honduras. It also placed national cultural heritage in jeopardy and endangered important sites, such as Copan, a designated World Heritage site, El Puente, and Los Naranjos, the Honduran government complained.
"By entering into this agreement, the United States demonstrates its respect for the cultural heritage of Honduras and decries the global pillage that results in illicit trade in cultural objects and the irretrievable loss of information about human history," the State Department said. "The United States hopes this action will reduce the incentive for further pillage of the unique and non-renewable cultural heritage of the people of Honduras," the statement added.
In addition to imposing import restrictions, the agreement also encourages cooperation between academic institutions and non-governmental organizations in the two countries. It also encourages exchange of knowledge and information and provides for U.S. technical assistance and training facilities to Honduras to enable it to better protect its cultural heritage. Such cooperation includes training in cultural resource management, public education and museum development.
On Tuesday, the U.S. administration officially entered in the Federal Register a list of objects that cannot be traded with Honduras. The entry makes it a legal offence to deal in such objects.
Honduras is the fourth Central American country to enter into such a bilateral agreement with the United States. The others are El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.
Honduran law already prohibits all commercial dealings in Honduran cultural resources and also protects shipwrecks and other archaeological artifacts in Honduran territorial waters.
But before the 1940s, Honduras allowed the removal of some cultural artifacts. The policy led to the destruction of Honduran cultural property, particularly in the second half of the 20th century.
According to a Honduran government Web site, there has been a substantial increase in looting and thefts from sites and museum in the last 20 years.
