US, Nicaragua Aim to Extend Import Ban on Pre-Hispanic Archaeological Material

The State Department proposed on Dec. 11 an extension of a U.S.-Nicaragua pact that restricts the import of Nicaraguan archaeological material from pre-Hispanic cultures into the U.S. market. The Nicaraguan government also wants an extension of the agreement, which has been in effect since 2000 (here). Articles targeted through the pact include stone statues, small greenstone objects and pierced shell beads, among others, mostly dating from 8000 B.C. to 1550 A.D.