Centuries-old Guatemalan pottery and other pre-Columbian artworks found in a safe that survived the destruction of the WTC on 9/11 were returned to Guatemalan officials on Wednesday. The collection was taken illegally to the US before the attacks and confiscated there. It was stored at the WTC when the attacks took place. ‘‘These are part of the foundation of our country. No money can buy what they represent,’’ Guatemalan honourary Consul Jorge Combalazier said. ‘‘These pieces show that culture can survive any tragedy,’’ he said. The pottery and stone-carved objects, some of them 1,700 years old, were spotted by US officials in January 1998 at the Miami airport and confiscated from two passengers who said they bought them at a market.
