Yale
In a very disappointing move, Yale University, in the state of Connecticut, located in the North Eastern part of the United States, is in unlawful possession of items from the nation of Peru's famed Machu Picchu site and is refusing to give back the priceless pieces. The government of Peru sued and Yale has requested the judge dismiss the lawsuit.
Yale is citing the three year statute of limitations that exists under U.S. law, as an excuse to steal Peru's national artifacts. However, the University is acting in violation of Peruvian law and U.N. law. Therefore, this is in effect stealing, not to mention raping another nation of its heritage and culture. Not a good look domestically or worldwide.
Yale asks dismissal of lawsuit over Peru artifacts
Monday, January 11, 2010 - Added 1h ago - NEW HAVEN, Connecticut — Yale University asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit by Peru seeking the return of thousands of artifacts from the famed Machu Picchu site, saying the claims were filed years too late.
Peru rejects the argument, saying Yale never owned the Incan artifacts that were taken from the South American nation nearly a century ago.
Yale filed court papers Friday arguing that the Peru’s lawsuit, filed in December 2008, should be dismissed because of a three-year statute of limitations under Connecticut law. Peru argues that under its own law, its claims are not subject to a statute of limitations.
The artifacts were gathered by a Yale scholar, Hiram Bingham III, between 1911 and 1915. Yale says it returned dozens of boxes of artifacts in 1921 and that Peru knew it would retain other artifacts.
"In the twenty-first century, long after everyone with any personal memory of the expeditions had died, Peru claimed that Yale had not returned enough of the artifacts," Yale’s attorneys wrote.
But Peru says objects of "immense cultural and historical importance" were never returned and says the trove included human remains, objects in bronze and gold, utensils, ceramics and art objects. Yale describes the artifacts as "primarily fragments of ceramic, metal and bone."...
