The Peruvian government has filed a federal lawsuit against Yale claiming the university is illegally holding treasures taken from the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu. The mummies, human bones, pottery, utensils and art were dug up by Hiram Bingham III in 1911 and taken to Yale on condition they would be returned to Peru. "The most valuable and archaeologically significant artifacts ... were never returned to Peru and remain in the custody of Yale," the lawsuit states. In 2007, Yale agreed to recognize Peru's ownership of the artifacts and promised to return 300 museum-quality pieces. But a dispute over bone fragments and other items Yale wants to keep for scientific study for up to 99 years prompted the suit filed in Washington DC.
Read it at The Hartford Courant
