A massive stone sculpture, created by Olmec civilization artists over two thousand years ago, has returned to evoke the spirit of ancient religious beliefs after being in the United States for decades, much to the delight of officials and scholars. The sculpture, now known as "Beast of the Earth," likely originated in central Mexico in the 1960s and spent time in the hands of artifact collectors as well as in public exhibitions before being discovered by art trafficking investigators working with prosecutors in New York.
The artifact, rich in symbols, weighs nearly a ton, and was probably found several decades prior to its departure from Mexico at an archaeological site in Morelos, just south of Mexico City. U.S. officials coordinated with their Mexican counterparts to facilitate the return of the sculpture just days ago.
The piece was carved from volcanic rock sometime between 800 and 400 B.C. during the peak of Olmec civilization, one of the oldest communities in Mexico, which lived in close proximity along the Gulf Coast. The Olmec people were renowned for their advanced artistic traditions, including massive sculptures shaped like human heads.
The sculpture depicts a mythical mountain and an entrance to a cave shaped like a cross, according to archaeologist Mario Cordova, an expert on Olmec civilization who traveled to the United States as part of the efforts to recover the Beast of the Earth. Some suggest that the sculpture may have been used in rituals as a sacred passage.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard praised the sculpture's return to his country, stating before its arrival by plane, "It gives us a glimpse of our origins."
