Published on Thursday, September 4, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica has recovered 11 pre-Columbian artifacts from the Netherlands, the country’s Embassy in The Hague confirmed this week.

The pieces, including vessels, pots, and ceremonial masks created by Costa Rica’s earliest inhabitants, were part of a collection once housed at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the artifacts were originally taken from Costa Rica by Austrian-Dutch physician and amateur archaeologist Hans Feriz (1895–1970).

Feriz traveled widely across Central and South America, participating in excavations and amassing thousands of objects. In the 1950s, he donated many pieces to the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam, formerly the Tropenmuseum, where he served as an honorary researcher. The museum’s pre-Columbian holdings were largely built from his acquisitions, covering cultures from Alaska to Brazil and dating as far back as 3000 B.C.

Following Feriz’s death, his heirs honored his wish that parts of the collection be returned to the countries of origin.

The return of the Costa Rican artifacts was coordinated by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Specialists from the University of Kansas, Leiden University, and Costa Rica’s National Museum conducted a detailed identification and verification process to confirm authenticity.

The artifacts were formally handed over to Costa Rica’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Arnoldo Brenes Castro, who will oversee their transport home.

“These objects are not just archaeological pieces. They are living testimonies of our roots, of the creativity and spirituality of the original peoples who inhabited our land,” Brenes said. “Their return strengthens our identity and reminds us of the shared responsibility to protect and value cultural heritage.”

Costa Rican law is clear on this point: under the National Archaeological Heritage Protection Law No. 6703, all archaeological artifacts are state property.

The law prohibits private sale or export, granting the National Museum exclusive rights to authorize international research use. Possession of pre-Columbian artifacts is illegal, with penalties ranging from one to three years in prison, as well as confiscation of the items.

The National Museum encourages the voluntary surrender of artifacts and urges the public to report suspected illegal trafficking. Reports can be made to the museum’s Department of Cultural Heritage Protection at (506) 2211-5700, or via its website.

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