But some came through police seizures abroad, reported The Associated Press. Many of the artifacts were returned voluntarily, like the 650 items the Italian government has handed over since 2013. The exhibition, which marked Mexico's 200th anniversary of independence from Spain, was the first time many of the items were displayed in their home country. This month, Mexico opened a massive exhibit showcasing 1,525 pre-Hispanic artifacts, reports Smithsonian Magazine, and more than half of them came from recovery efforts like the one concluded Friday. The three items - a clay pot adorned with human figures and two ceramic human faces, reports Reuters - were illegally exported from Mexico and bound for an auction. Italy's Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage confiscated the 2,300-year-old relics and returned them to Mexican officials.
Mexico has recovered three ancient artifacts from Italy on Friday, reclaiming the works as part of an ongoing effort to track down and bring back artifacts that have scattered across the world.