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"Priceless" Treasures Returning To Colombia

Spanish police provided images of the looted treasures
Spanish police provided images of the looted treasures

Anthropomorphic containers, ancient ceramic bowls, mysterious instruments, jewelry and delicate painting tools belonging to the native Colombian cultures that collapsed in the 16th century, before the onslaught of Spanish invaders.

These were some of almost 700 items Spanish police confiscated from traffickers, which authorities in Madrid formally handed over to Colombia's ambassador this week, a decade after they were found. The items were given a pricetag of $7 million, but said to be of "incalculable worth,"El Espectador and agencies reported.

Ambassador Fernando Carrillo Flórez told the Spanish agency EFE that "the arrival of almost 700 pieces to Colombia is one of the most important cultural events of recent times." They would, he said, have a "place of honor" in one of the country's museums, perhaps the National Museum or the Archaeology Museum in Bogotá.

Some of the items were found in 2003 in a Madrid flat belonging to one of 29 suspected traffickers detained at the time. An adventure fit for Tintin — though the heroes in this case were the police, who found the treasures during the Operación Florencia targetting drug trafficking and money laundering.

In all, authorities found more than 880 items from various Latin American countries. An official of the Spanish Culture Ministry, Jesús Prieto, called the find "a small Colombian museum of archaeology," for the breadth of periods and cultures concerned. It included items from the Quimbaya, Sinú and Nariño cultures.

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Green

How A "Climatic Memory" Gene Helps Trees Face Environmental Threat

Humans and animals have strategies to deal with their surroundings, including the impacts of climate change. But what about trees? Researchers in Spain have identified mechanisms in plant life to learn over time from unfavorable environmental situations.

How A "Climatic Memory" Gene Helps Trees Face Environmental Threat

Tree brain?

Juan F Samaniego

OVIEDO — When it doesn't rain, humans look for water under rocks. Throughout history, we have developed more or less effective techniques (and more or less respectful of the environment) to always have something to drink. Reservoirs, wells or desalination plants help us, when available, to cope with periods of drought.

Animals also have strategies to deal with lack of water, such as moving (sometimes long distances) in search of new reserves or reducing hydration needs by lowering physical activity.

But how does a tree survive?

These living beings are anchored to the same place, where they spend tens, hundreds and even thousands of years. For this reason, their strategies to deal with stressful situations, such as a drought, a heat wave or a plague, are very different from those of animals.

New research has discovered something incredible: trees have a kind of climatic memory in their genes.

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