US Returns a Centuries-Old Map to Mexico

A map drafted centuries ago as Spanish settlers solidified their presence in what is now Mexico and the southwestern United States has been returned to the Mexican government, marking the end of a yearslong effort to bring the historic document home. FBI agents and Mexican officials were joined by historians and archivists Tuesday at the consulate in Albuquerque for a celebratory handoff of the map, reports the AP. Unlike maps of today, this one is orientated with north to the right and west at the top.

"This document not only enriches our collective memory but also strengthens the ties that unite Mexico and New Mexico through a shared history," said Patricia Pinzón, Consul of Mexico in Albuquerque. She mentioned the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro as one of those links. The 1,600-mile route once served as a lifeline between Mexico City and Santa Fe and is depicted as a central feature that snakes through the map. The names of communities are artfully scripted along the route as other lines radiating from the route mark rivers.

Archivists in Mexico City first realized the map was gone in 2011. It was among 75 pieces that were taken from records belonging to the national archives. The physical evidence included a scar inside one volume where pages had been removed. About five years passed with no leads. Then came a call from a librarian at the Fray Angélico Chávez History Library at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, who was doing background research on a map that was presented to the library for sale.

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The librarian found evidence that the document may have been stolen, said Billy Garrett, executive director of the museum. Mexican archivists used negatives and microfilm copies to prove that the document in Santa Fe was genuine. It took years to work through international protocols and laws that relate to returning material stolen from other countries, but during that time Garrett said the library took great care to protect the map in a climate-controlled environment. It's scribed on paper made of rag pulp. The FBI held the map over the past year while final arrangements were made for Tuesday's handoff.