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Antiquities Returning to Mexico Include Mayan Vase Sold for $4 in US Store 

A Mayan vase over 1,000 years old and purchased for about four dollars at a Washington area thrift shop, will return to Mexico along with other cultural artefacts that date to the country's storied ancient past, at the Cultural Institute of Mexico in Washington, DC, US, this handout distributed on June 20, 2024. National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)/Handout via Reuters
A Mayan vase over 1,000 years old and purchased for about four dollars at a Washington area thrift shop, will return to Mexico along with other cultural artefacts that date to the country's storied ancient past, at the Cultural Institute of Mexico in Washington, DC, US, this handout distributed on June 20, 2024. National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)/Handout via Reuters
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Antiquities Returning to Mexico Include Mayan Vase Sold for $4 in US Store 

A Mayan vase over 1,000 years old and purchased for about four dollars at a Washington area thrift shop, will return to Mexico along with other cultural artefacts that date to the country's storied ancient past, at the Cultural Institute of Mexico in Washington, DC, US, this handout distributed on June 20, 2024. National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)/Handout via Reuters
A Mayan vase over 1,000 years old and purchased for about four dollars at a Washington area thrift shop, will return to Mexico along with other cultural artefacts that date to the country's storied ancient past, at the Cultural Institute of Mexico in Washington, DC, US, this handout distributed on June 20, 2024. National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)/Handout via Reuters

The Mexican government will welcome back 20 cultural artifacts that date to the country's storied ancient past, all found in the United States including a Mayan vase over 1,000 years old and purchased for about $4 at a Washington area thrift shop.

Mexico's antiquities institute INAH announced the repatriation, which also include centuries-old plates, bowls as well as sculpted figures belonging to the Aztec, Totonac and Teotihuacan cultures, in a statement on Thursday.

The artifacts are set to be returned to Mexico over the next few days.

The reddish-white Mayan vase has stoked particular interest.

According to a Washington D.C. television news report on Monday, local resident Anna Lee Dozier bought the Mayan vase for $3.99 from a clearance rack at a nearby thrift store about five years ago.

Likely made during the Maya civilization's classical zenith between 200-800 A.D., according to INAH, the well-preserved vase is a colorful polychrome vessel painted with ornate glyphs and depicting seated figures in profile gesturing with their hands.

Major Mayan cities grew in prominence beginning some 3,000 years ago across a large swathe of present-day southern Mexico and several Central American nations, during a time of major human achievements in math, astronomy and art.

Earlier this year, following a trip to Mexico City, Dozier notified Mexico's US embassy that she might have a real artifact, instead of the rustic replica she initially thought she had purchased.

Dozier later turned over the vase to Mexican officials in Washington, telling the local television station she believed the historical piece should return to its country of origin.

She also expressed relief that the ancient artifact was no longer at risk at her home from her two young boys.

"I was petrified that after two thousand years I would be the one to wreck it!"

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Culture

Hadrami Dan Added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List

The Hadrami Dan included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity following a long and diligent process. Photo: X
The Hadrami Dan included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity following a long and diligent process. Photo: X
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Hadrami Dan Added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List

The Hadrami Dan included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity following a long and diligent process. Photo: X
The Hadrami Dan included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity following a long and diligent process. Photo: X

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee of UNESCO, during its ongoing 20th session in New Delhi, included the Hadrami Dan on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Hadrami Dan is a traditional performance and community gathering that combines spontaneous poetry, music and dance, widespread practiced across Hadhramaut Governorate. A typical Hadrami Dan gathering includes at least one singer and poet, with the audience seated in rows or circles.

Yemen’s Ambassador to UNESCO Mohammed Jumaih said the Hadrami Dan deserves this recognition, following a long and diligent process to reach this goal.

Jumaih thanked the Ministry of Culture and its staff, and the National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science.

He offered special gratitude to the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture, which undertook the preparation and financing of the nomination file.

He also expressed his appreciation to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee, its Chairperson (India’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Vishal Sharma), the committee members, its secretariat, and the Evaluation Body experts for their efforts.

Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Muammar Al-Eryani in the Yemeni government said this achievement represents “a well-deserved international recognition of one of the most important creative expressions in Hadhramaut and Yemen in general.”

The Hadrami Dan embodies the depth of Yemeni cultural identity, which successive generations have preserved despite the harsh transformations the country has undergone, he said.

Al-Eryani added that it is the result of a joint national effort involving the Ministry of Culture and the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture, alongside the prominent role played by Jumaih in following up on the issue within UNESCO.

Culture

Saudi Arabia: Najran Cultural Tent Contributes to Passing Cultural Heritage Across Generations

As part of the festival’s broader activities, the cultural tent aims to preserve folk heritage. SPA
As part of the festival’s broader activities, the cultural tent aims to preserve folk heritage. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: Najran Cultural Tent Contributes to Passing Cultural Heritage Across Generations

As part of the festival’s broader activities, the cultural tent aims to preserve folk heritage. SPA
As part of the festival’s broader activities, the cultural tent aims to preserve folk heritage. SPA

The cultural tent at Najran Al-Ruqsh Festival has emerged as one of the event’s most prominent attractions, drawing visitors of all ages, particularly those interested in the region’s rich cultural heritage and historical legacy, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The tent featured a dedicated corner for activities, stories, and traditional narratives, where elderly community members shared their experiences and memories with younger generations, SPA said on Saturday.

Through these interactions, they highlighted aspects of local heritage and recounted stories from the past that reflected daily life, social values, and inherited customs that have shaped Najran’s identity over generations.

As part of the festival’s broader activities, the cultural tent aims to preserve folk heritage, strengthen its presence in the community’s collective memory, and present it to current and future generations in a manner that balances authenticity with modernity, thereby promoting the region’s cultural identity.

Culture

Jeddah Book Fair Highlights Saudi Manga and Comics’ Rise from Hobby to Professionalism

Manga zone at Jeddah Book Fair captivates visitors with creative content, comics. (SPA)
Manga zone at Jeddah Book Fair captivates visitors with creative content, comics. (SPA)
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Jeddah Book Fair Highlights Saudi Manga and Comics’ Rise from Hobby to Professionalism

Manga zone at Jeddah Book Fair captivates visitors with creative content, comics. (SPA)
Manga zone at Jeddah Book Fair captivates visitors with creative content, comics. (SPA)

A dialogue session held on the main stage of the Jeddah Book Fair 2025, organized by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, discussed the rapid transformations taking place in the manga and comics sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the title "The Saudi Manga and Comics Wave: From Hobby to Professionalism."

The session began by outlining the features of the creative renaissance in these art forms, explaining how they evolved in just a few years from individual initiatives and youthful hobbies to a mature artistic movement and a cultural vision embraced by institutions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The session highlighted the development of manga and comics in Saudi Arabia and the challenges and opportunities artists face as they transition from hobby to professional practice. It reviewed the local scene, which has seen a broad presence, bolstered by media platforms that support Saudi productions and help spread this art form among the public.

The session explained that manga and comics in Saudi Arabia have developed a clear artistic identity that reflects Saudi cultural values such as generosity, courage, and humanity. It emphasized that professionalism depends on an integrated system encompassing concept, story writing, illustration, and design.

The session concluded by highlighting the most prominent professional challenges in this field, while stressing that human creativity remains the key factor of manga and comics production and the true engine of this art form's development.