Yale: Peru lawsuit should be dismissed

New Haven (AP) - Yale University says a lawsuit by Peru seeking the return of thousands of Inca artifacts removed from the famed Machu Picchu citadel should be dismissed because the 90-year-old claims are time-barred under the law.

Peru rejects the argument, saying Yale never owned the artifacts and that its claims are not subject to a statute of limitations under Peruvian law. Peru also says Yale did not assert ownership of the artifacts until late 2008.

The South American nation filed the lawsuit in December 2008 demanding the Ivy League university return artifacts taken by famed scholar Hiram Bingham III between 1911 and 1915.

Yale filed court papers Friday arguing the lawsuit should be dismissed because of a three-year statue of limitations under Connecticut law.