MEXICO CITY.- After years of meticulous work, a vast and historically significant collection of nearly 50,000 archaeological artifacts, amassed by the beloved Culiacán figure Héctor Manuel Delgado Salas, has been officially cataloged. Known to many as "El chino billetero" (the lottery vendor), Delgado Salas spent decades traveling through his home state of Sinaloa, collecting these priceless pieces.
The INAH Sinaloa Center, with support from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), began the monumental task of registering the collection in 2013. The project, which concluded this past Friday, registered a total of 41,400 objects. Students from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa's forensics and criminology program assisted with the final stages of the process, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Now that the collection is officially registered, its director, Servando Rojo Quintero, announced the next exciting phase: temporary distribution to various museums across the state. This initiative will allow the public—both locals and tourists—to finally see a part of the rich cultural and historical heritage of Sinaloa. The collection includes a wide range of materials, from ancient tools like metates and mortars to ceramic vessels, figurines, and even funerary urns.
Héctor Delgado Salas, who passed away in 2021, was a well-known and cherished personality in Culiacán. His passion for collecting pre-Hispanic artifacts began as a child in the 1940s and continued for decades. It's important to note that his collecting started before the 1972 law was enacted, which declared that all archaeological heritage is the property of the nation.
For those eager to get a sneak peek, a portion of the collection is already on display at the INAH Center's facilities in Culiacán, where admission is free.
This project is not just about cataloging objects; it's about making a private passion accessible to the public, ensuring that the legacy of "El chino billetero" helps everyone connect with the deep history of Sinaloa.
