She thrifted this vase for $4. It turned out to be an ancient Mayan artifact #archaeology #mayan #history #pottery #nicefind #mexico

Anna Lee Dozier purchased this vase at a thrift store about 10 minutes from her Washington, D.C., home. It turned out to be an authentic Mayan artifact that dates to between 200 AD to 800 AD. Anna Lee Dozier

NPR WBEZ in Chicago has the story of a great find.  A 1,200 year old Mayan vase was purchased for $4 at a Thrift Store in Clinton, Maryland.  Now, that vase is heading back home to Mexico.

For a long time, Anna Lee Dozier thought she had just stumbled upon a good deal.

The Washington, D.C., resident paid about $4 for what she assumed was a reproduction of a Mayan vase. It turned out to be the real deal: an artifact that’s at least 1,200 years old from the ancient civilization. And now, it's headed back to its homeland.

Dozier bought the vase about five years ago at the 2A Thrift Store in Clinton, Md. She was about to leave the shop when she spotted it on a clearance shelf by the checkout.

"It did look old to me, but not old-old, like 20 to 30 years old, maybe," she said.

Dozier, a human rights advocate with Christian Solidarity Worldwide who has worked with Indigenous communities in Mexico, said that the pottery was a special find even before she knew just how priceless it was.