Word: colombian
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Manhattan welcomes a trove of ancient Colombian gold...
Whether such lavish ceremonies really took place is uncertain. But unlike most of the Aztec, Maya and Inca treasures, which the Spaniards melted down and shipped back home in the form of ingots, many of the ancient gold objects of the Colombian Indians have survived. Protected by rugged terrain, dispersed over a wider area in many different tribal groupings, the Colombians avoided some of the worst depredations of the European invaders. They also buried their treasures in hidden tombs that escaped detection until recent times...
...Dorado has materialized in the U.S. Last week more than 500 objects of Colombian gold went on exhibit at Manhattan's American Museum of Natural History. Most of these treasures-which next year will travel to Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans-come from Bogotá's Museo del Oro (Gold Museum), which has collected some 26,000 ancient gold pieces, often buying them up from guaqueros (professional tomb robbers) who otherwise would probably sell them to foreign collectors...
Respect for the glowing handiwork of the Colombian Indians extends beyond the museums and the museumgoers of Colombia and the U.S. Even the guaqueros, who in the past would melt down these treasures, have come to recognize that an ancient art object may be worth more than its weight in gold...
Though a group of Colombian Congressmen also endorse the idea, most ranking officials remain opposed to the proposal. Colombian President Julio César Turbay Ayala sees "no possibility" of legalization. His feeling is shared by Attorney General Guillermo Gonzalez Charry, who is worried about marijuana's effect on the health of Colombian youth. By A.N.I.F.'S estimate, only 5% of the crop is smoked locally, and Gonzalez wishes to keep it that way. Captain Luis German Leon, head of the secret police narcotics unit, fears that if pot were legalized many people now involved in the marijuana...