An American woman bought a vase for nothing, which turned out to be from the time of the ancient Maya and was made about 1,800 years ago , UPI reports.
Anna Lee Dozier of Washington spotted a beautiful vase with an unusual design at a thrift store in Clinton. “It looked old, but I thought it was 20-30 years old, as a souvenir for tourists, so I bought it,”, says the woman. The artifact of an extinct civilization cost her "goals" four dollars.
At the beginning of the year, Dozier went on vacation to Mexico. She visited the anthropology museum and the exhibits there were very similar to her recent purchase. The woman told museum officials about it, and they advised her to contact the Mexican Embassy in the United States.
Returning home, Dozier sent photos of the vase to the embassy. There they were able to quickly identify the artifact. It turned out to be a genuine product of Mayan artisans that was made between 200-280 AD.
Dozier decided to return the priceless historical find. She and her family personally presented the vase to the Mexican ambassador to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma, in a special ceremony at the Museum of Mexican Culture in Washington. The American said she was happy to be involved in returning the value to her homeland. The woman added that she had three small children at home and would not forgive herself if they broke a vase that was almost two thousand years old.