ICE HSI repatriates pre-Columbian bowl to Belize

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent this bulletin at 09/15/2011 09:00 AM EDTBelize's history is rich. Nearly 75 attendees gathered at the Embassy of Belize this past weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the country's independence from England. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) added to the celebration by returning a piece of history – a pre-Columbian feasting bowl, common to northern Belize – to the Belizean government.
The z-angle pre-Columbian feasting bowl was created by Mayan Indians. It is nearly 1800 years old, dating back to 200 to 600 AD and was likely looted from a grave.
"Artifacts like this represent the people of Belize and the region's ancient cultural history," said Carlos Maza, deputy assistant director for ICE's Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) Office of International Affairs. "The bowl is precisely the type of treasure that ICE's Cultural Property Art and Antiquities Program was established to identify, investigate and return to its rightful owners."