After almost a century of dispute, the government of Peru has filed a lawsuit against Yale University in an effort to retrieve artifacts excavated from Machu Picchu in 1911, reports the Yale Daily News.

The complaint, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. on Friday by the Washington law firm DLA Piper, seeks "the immediate return of all such property as well as damages that it has suffered on account of Yale's persistent breach of its obligations and profit at the expense of the people of Peru."

At issue are ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and other items that explorer Hiram Bingham excavated from the Inca site Machu Picchu in Peru and brought to Yale in 1911. The two parties came close earlier this year to signing an agreement that would have returned some of the objects in Yale's possession to Peru, but not all. Ultimately, they were unable to agree on terms, or on the number of items in question; Peru claims there are more than 45,000, while Yale says there are far fewer, and that many of them are archaeological bits not suitable for exhibition.

The lawsuit comes as Peru prepares to celebrate the centenary of the discovery of Machu Picchu, its biggest tourist draw, in 2011.

"Clearly it is a case where there is good reason for both sides to reach a creative, constructive resolution," said Yale general counsel Dorothy Robinson. "We will, of course, defend the suit."