FBI returns stolen 500-year-old Hernan Cortes manuscript to Mexico
Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A stolen manuscript written by notorious Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés in 1527 has been returned to the Mexican government, the FBI announced on Wednesday.
The manuscript was written on parchment and signed by Cortés with an indicated date of Feb. 20, 1527.
"This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortez," FBI special agent Jessica Dittmer said in a news release.
The manuscript "outlines the payment of pesos of common gold for expenses in preparation for discovery of the spice lands," Dittmer said.
"It gives a lot of flavor as to the planning and preparation for uncharted territory back then," she added.
Dittmer is a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team and part of the joint FBI-New York Police Department Major Theft Task Force.
The document likely was stolen sometime between 1985 and October 1993, but investigators recovered and returned it to the Mexican government, according to the FBI.
The document contains a wax numbering that archivists used between 1985 and 1986, which helped investigators to narrow the timeline for its theft.
It was part of a larger collection, which caretakers with Mexico's national archives in October 1993 discovered was missing 15 pages, including the just-returned manuscript.
Mexican authorities last year sought the FBI's help in recovering the manuscript.
Investigators with the FBI, NYPD and the office of the U.S. Attorney for Southern New York determined the document was located within the continental United States and tracked down its location.
The investigative team "worked through additional logistical steps to ensure that all the stakeholders formerly and currently in possession of the manuscript page received all necessary information to prepare for our seizure of the document," Dittmer said.
Those steps included having all former and current stakeholders sign away their claims to the document, which enabled the FBI to take legal possession, verify its authenticity and return it to its rightful owners in Mexico.
The document has exchanged many hands since it went missing, so no charges will be filed against past stakeholders, according to the FBI.
It's the second such document created by Cortés that the FBI has located and returned to Mexico.
The bureau in July 2023 returned a letter that details the purchase of rose sugar that Cortés wrote in the 16th century.
Cortés is a significant and controversial historical figure who explored Central America and defeated the Aztec empire leader Montezuma, resulting in Spanish King Charles I making Cortés the governor of New Spain (Mexico) in 1522.
Rock musician Neil Young in 1975 wrote and recorded a song about the conquistador, "Cortez the Killer," with his band, Crazy Horse. The song remains a staple of Young's live performances.
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