An Ancient Portal to the Underworld Was Found in Denver

Looters stole this 2,700-year-old hell gate. Now, it’s back where it belongs.

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Originally stolen in the early 20th century, a “portal to the underworld” depicting the Olmec jaguar god Tepeyollotlicuhti was returned to Mexico in May 2023. Because looters had broken the statue into multiple pieces, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) spent a year restoring it to its original form.

The statue’s return followed decades of effort by archaeologists and officials combating antiquities trafficking. Sometime in the early 1900s, looters took a 2,700-year-old Olmec artifact—a six-by-five-foot Cave Mask, also called Portal al Inframundo, depicting Tepeyollotlicuhti with flaring eyes and a gaping mouth.

Originally from Chalcatzingo in Morelos, a region known for Olmec art and iconography, the stolen statue passed through various U.S. museums and private collections before reaching Denver in 2023. Authorities from New York City’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit eventually secured the artifact, and within months it was returned to Mexico.

“This remarkable, ancient piece offers a rare glimpse into Olmec society,” said New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “Like many looted antiquities, the Cave Mask was broken into several pieces to ease smuggling.”

According to INAH, the statue had been broken into 25 fragments. Restoration experts have been carefully working on it in situ to ensure structural stability and a coherent visual presentation.