SAN DIEGO — The next time you're going through family heirlooms you may want to take a closer look.
Two San Diego families who didn't know each other said they uncovered ancient artifacts that date back to pre-Hispanic days.
The families who found the ancient artifacts say they had no idea the story behind the pieces dates back more than 2,000 years ago.
Growing up, Pete and Christine Mechalas heard their mom tell the story of the ancient artifacts that were locked up in a glass case in their childhood living room in Glendora.
“She would show them to people and of course, she would say they were Mayan, but she didn't really know,” said Christine Mechalas Tempesta.
Their mom, Bess, would tell the story about her friend, Blanca, who was a dressmaker and lived in Nayarit, Mexico and had unearthed the artifacts while digging to build a house.
“Blanca needed surgery and said to my mom, ‘would you like to buy my pieces?’ And my mom thought, ‘well, I'll pay a couple thousand 1000 [dollars] for them, and my friend will get her surgery, and everything's good. And I'll just display them,’” said Tempesta.
Bess is now 97-years-old and in assisted living but her kids who live in San Diego County never stopped chipping away for the real story behind the clay bowls and vases.
Eventually, Christine did a manganese test which is used to identify ancient art.
“We thought a couple 100 years old,” said Tempesta.
All the while, Norm Werthmann, a storage facility manager in Rancho Bernardo, with no relation to the Mechalas' uncovered similar artifacts.
His parents had them for fifty years in a glass case, but he never knew the story.
“Things boxed up from my parents, that eventually we got into and you realized with some limited paperwork that they were something special,” said Werthmann.
They made a few calls to a local college, museums, and a fine arts appraiser.
“What was great was that all the dealers and everything was so upfront about it and go, ‘now these should go. You know, these need to go to the proper home.’ They're not like, ‘Well, I'll try and sell something,’” said Pete Mechalas.
The families reached out to the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego. Consule General Carlos González Gutiérrez worked with the Mexican Ministry of Culture and National Institute of Anthropology and History to analyze the 64 artifacts.
“They validated their pre-Hispanic origin, authenticated them, and therefore declared them formally as their formal belonging to the Mexican age,” said Gutiérrez.
Archeologists found the cajete's, pedestal shaped vases and other artifacts belonged to the three Mesoamerican time periods dating back to 300 BC to 900 AD.
“They are invaluable. They are priceless. The important thing is that they were always part of our nation,” said Gutiérrez.
The consulate general says the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assist in conserving the artifacts.
“The true meaning of these recovery is going to be when these objects of great archaeological value are on display,” said Gutiérrez
He is grateful Werthmann, and the Mechalas' returned the pieces to help sculpt their rich Mexican story.
“We're just glad they found their way home. We hope it inspires more people to do this,” said Pete Mechalas.
The Consulate General says these actions and the joint work of corresponding agencies continue to make efforts to combat illicit trafficking of cultural artifacts.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego Padres play historic first MLB series in Mexico City (April 2023).