Latest news with #HernanCortes
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
US returns to Mexico stolen manuscript signed by conquistador Hernan Cortes
US returns to Mexico stolen manuscript signed by conquistador Hernan Cortes By Sarah Morland MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -The U.S. FBI said it had on Wednesday returned to Mexico a stolen manuscript dating back five centuries to the Spanish conquest and signed by its leading military commander, Hernan Cortes. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team in New York, said the document contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortes' journey to what eventually became New Spain - a territory that stretched from Central America to modern-day Washington state. "This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortes," she said in a statement. "Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history." Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519, when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan - modern-day Mexico City - just two years later. The document is dated February 20, 1527, just days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810 war of independence. The manuscript was initially stored in Mexico's national archives, but archivists preserving the documents on film in 1993 found that 15 pages had gone missing. Based on its wax numbering system, the FBI said the document was likely stolen between 1985 and 1993. This marks the second repatriation of a Cortes manuscript to Mexico, after a letter from April 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar was returned in 2023. No one will face prosecution in connection with the theft, Dittmer said, because investigators assessed the manuscript had changed hands several times since it disappeared. The U.S. antiques market is valued in the tens of billions of dollars, largely concentrated in New York auction houses. Mexico has for decades sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum. Solve the daily Crossword


AsiaOne
5 days ago
- AsiaOne
US returns to Mexico stolen manuscript signed by conquistador Hernan Cortes, World News
MEXICO CITY — The US FBI said it had on Wednesday (Aug 13) returned to Mexico a stolen manuscript dating back five centuries to the Spanish conquest and signed by its leading military commander, Hernan Cortes. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team in New York, said the document contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortes' journey to what eventually became New Spain — a territory that stretched from Central America to modern-day Washington state. "This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortes," she said in a statement. "Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history." Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519, when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan — modern-day Mexico City — just two years later. The document is dated Feb 20, 1527, just days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810 war of independence. The manuscript was initially stored in Mexico's national archives, but archivists preserving the documents on film in 1993 found that 15 pages had gone missing. Based on its wax numbering system, the FBI said the document was likely stolen between 1985 and 1993. This marks the second repatriation of a Cortes manuscript to Mexico, after a letter from April 1527 authorising the purchase of rose sugar was returned in 2023. No one will face prosecution in connection with the theft, Dittmer said, because investigators assessed the manuscript had changed hands several times since it disappeared. The US antiques market is valued in the tens of billions of dollars, largely concentrated in New York auction houses. Mexico has for decades sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum. [[nid:720513]]

Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Malay Mail
US hands back 500-year-old conqueror Hernan Cortes document stolen from Mexico's archives
MEXICO CITY, Aug 14 — The US FBI said it had on Wednesday returned to Mexico a stolen manuscript dating back five centuries to the Spanish conquest and signed by its leading military commander, Hernan Cortes. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team in New York, said the document contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortes' journey to what eventually became New Spain – a territory that stretched from Central America to modern-day Washington state. 'This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortes,' she said in a statement. 'Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history.' Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519, when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan – modern-day Mexico City – just two years later. The document is dated February 20, 1527, just days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810 war of independence. The manuscript was initially stored in Mexico's national archives, but archivists preserving the documents on film in 1993 found that 15 pages had gone missing. Based on its wax numbering system, the FBI said the document was likely stolen between 1985 and 1993. This marks the second repatriation of a Cortes manuscript to Mexico, after a letter from April 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar was returned in 2023. No one will face prosecution in connection with the theft, Dittmer said, because investigators assessed the manuscript had changed hands several times since it disappeared. The US antiques market is valued in the tens of billions of dollars, largely concentrated in New York auction houses. Mexico has for decades sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum. — Reuters

Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
US returns to Mexico stolen manuscript signed by conquistador Hernan Cortes
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A combination image shows a manuscript signed by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1527, believed to have been stolen from Mexico's national archives, and recovered and returned by the U.S. FBI to the Mexico government, in this handout image released on November 22, 2022. FBI Boston/Handout via REUTERS MEXICO CITY - The U.S. FBI said it had on Wednesday returned to Mexico a stolen manuscript dating back five centuries to the Spanish conquest and signed by its leading military commander, Hernan Cortes. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team in New York, said the document contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortes' journey to what eventually became New Spain - a territory that stretched from Central America to modern-day Washington state. "This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortes," she said in a statement. "Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history." Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519, when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan - modern-day Mexico City - just two years later. The document is dated February 20, 1527, just days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810 war of independence. The manuscript was initially stored in Mexico's national archives, but archivists preserving the documents on film in 1993 found that 15 pages had gone missing. Based on its wax numbering system, the FBI said the document was likely stolen between 1985 and 1993. This marks the second repatriation of a Cortes manuscript to Mexico, after a letter from April 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar was returned in 2023. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia India, Singapore ministers discuss deeper tie-ups in digitalisation, skills, industrial parks Business More seniors remain employed after retirement and re-employment ages raised in 2022: MOM study Singapore askST: Will assets seized in $3b money laundering case be sold at public auctions? Business StarHub first-half profit falls 41.7% to $47.9m; telco eyes 'more aggressive stance' amid competition Business CapitaLand Investment first-half profit falls 13.3%, appoints new CEO of private funds Singapore 2 dead after fire in Jalan Bukit Merah flat, about 60 evacuated Sport PSG beat Tottenham on penalties to win Uefa Super Cup Singapore TB screenings at two pre-schools after staff member diagnosed in July No one will face prosecution in connection with the theft, Dittmer said, because investigators assessed the manuscript had changed hands several times since it disappeared. The U.S. antiques market is valued in the tens of billions of dollars, largely concentrated in New York auction houses. Mexico has for decades sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum. REUTERS


Reuters
5 days ago
- Reuters
US returns to Mexico stolen manuscript signed by conquistador Hernan Cortes
MEXICO CITY, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. FBI said it had on Wednesday returned to Mexico a stolen manuscript dating back five centuries to the Spanish conquest and signed by its leading military commander, Hernan Cortes. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team in New York, said the document contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortes' journey to what eventually became New Spain - a territory that stretched from Central America to modern-day Washington state. "This is an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernan Cortes," she said in a statement. "Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history." Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519, when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan - modern-day Mexico City - just two years later. The document is dated February 20, 1527, just days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810 war of independence. The manuscript was initially stored in Mexico's national archives, but archivists preserving the documents on film in 1993 found that 15 pages had gone missing. Based on its wax numbering system, the FBI said the document was likely stolen between 1985 and 1993. This marks the second repatriation of a Cortes manuscript to Mexico, after a letter from April 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar was returned in 2023. No one will face prosecution in connection with the theft, Dittmer said, because investigators assessed the manuscript had changed hands several times since it disappeared. The U.S. antiques market is valued in the tens of billions of dollars, largely concentrated in New York auction houses. Mexico has for decades sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum.