Luis Lumbreras is a renowned archaeologist, anthropologist and professor of Peruvian origin. This scientist is considered one of the most brilliant minds in Latin America in the art of analyzing and interpreting the culture of ancient civilizations through their remains, especially the culture of the Andean region.
Its contribution to current society is even broader, since it changed the way of studying the ancestors and origins of peoples, bringing archeology closer to the population and its development.
Luis Guillermo Lumbreras (right) at the presentation of the Top Annual at the Ministry of Culture of Peru. By The Annual Top of the Great Discoveries of Peru, from Wikimedia Commons
Not in vain is he considered one of the forerunners of social archeology, which is not limited only to collecting and examining data, but is also involved in the progress of the community.
He himself defines it as "a type of archeology that cares about development and contributes to the proposals for change in third world countries." In addition, he adds that "it is more participatory, it is not just the collection of data from the past." In summary, this archaeologist modified the approach of this science incorporating a more qualitative scope, seen very little before.
In Peru, Lumbreras Salcedo is one of the most important characters for the understanding of his roots, because he raised the hologenist theory about the origin of the culture of his native country. This hypothesis establishes that the identity of said nation is based on the fusion of indigenous elements with other foreigners.
Biography
Luis Guillermo Lumbreras Salcedo was born in Ayacucho, a city located in southern Peru, on July 29, 1936. Despite living his early years in his hometown, his parents Elías Lumbreras Soto and Rosa María Salcedo decided that he would study in the capital, Lima.
In 1949 he completed his primary education at the Sagrados Corazones Recoleta school, and in 1954 he graduated from high school at the Antonio Raimondi school.
Later, he entered the Faculty of Letters at the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos, a university where he obtained his bachelor's and doctorate degrees in Ethnology and Archeology in 1959.
Race
The trajectory of this doctor is more than sixty years old and is still valid. His professional career includes innumerable investigations, positions, works and awards.
His professional work began even before graduating, since in 1958 he began to teach at the Enrique Guzmán National University of Education.
In 1963 he returned to the city of Ayacucho, where he founded the first Faculty of Social Sciences in the country at the National University of San Cristóbal de Huamanga. His fascination with teaching and anthropology kept him as dean until 1965.
His curriculum as a teacher did not stop there, because he also belonged to the staff of educators at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina and the Universidad de San Marcos; in the latter he promoted the creation of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
His role as a teacher was so momentous that he was awarded the honor of being emeritus professor at the San Marcos and San Cristóbal de Huamanga universities.
Charges
Thanks to his work, Luis Lumbreras held several large-scale positions at different times: director of the museums of Archeology and Ethnography at the University of San Marcos from 1968 to 1972, director of Anthropology and Archeology from 1973 to 1978 and president of the museum of the nation's capital in 1990.
He also used his influence to create organizations that would help advance his area, such as the Andean Institute of Archaeological Studies in 1982, an organization that brought together all his colleagues.
In addition, he was a consultant at UNESCO and the Inter-American Development Bank. More recently, in 2002 he was appointed director of the National Institute of Culture and in 2005 he was part of the World Heritage Committee.
Awards
Throughout his life, this archaeologist has received five awards: the National Prize for Culture in 1970, the Humboldt Prize for Scientific Research in 1993, the National Prize for Scientific Research in 1996, the “Best Latin American and National Archaeologist” award. Caribe ”in 2013, and the Honoris Causa Award in 2014.
Hologenistic theory
Luis Lumbreras has done numerous works. Many of these have been in the Andean region; others have been outside their native country, in nations like Spain, Germany and Brazil.
However, perhaps his most transcendental and important work was the hologenist theory, which focuses on explaining the origin of Andean culture.
During his investigations of the Huari civilization and the archaeological culture of ancient Peru (Chavín), he proposed that the antecedents of his country had properly autochthonous roots, which were evolving and adopting elements from other lands and populations.
One of the examples par excellence that demonstrates the veracity of his hypothesis was ceramics, originally from Colombia and Ecuador, and which later became part of the daily life of this culture. In this case, other foreign elements are added, such as agriculture and architecture.
Differences with Rowe
This belief helped to better understand the roots of Peru and its development. Likewise, it made him oppose the cultural periodification scheme of the ancient Andean civilization proposed by the American John Rowe.
The biggest difference between both theories lies in the element chosen to make the classification. Rowe drew on pottery and divided it into eight stages: Preceramic; initial; Early, middle and late horizon; Early and late intermediate; and end of the Empire.
Instead, Lumbreras proposed a separation by socioeconomic factors, demonstrating his ability to connect the findings with the development of culture.
Like Rowe, Lumbreras divided the progress of ancient Peru into eight periods, but they were as follows: lithic, archaic, formative, regional developments, Wari Empire, regional states, Inca Empire, and end of the Inca Empire.
This anthropologist has become a mandatory reference to understand the beginning of a civilization as advanced for his time as the Andean, and it is essential to understand this origin to know and interpret the traditions, myths and beliefs of Peru today.
References
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- "Luis Guillermo Lumbreras" (September 2007) in La Nación. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from La Nación: lanacion.com.ar
- "Biography of Luis Guillermo Lumbreras" at the University of San Marcos. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from the University of San Marcos: unmsm.edu.pe
- "Dr. Luis Guillermo Lumbreras ”in Congress of the Republic of Peru. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from the Congress of the Republic of Peru: congreso.gob.pe
- "Theories of the origin of Peruvian culture" in History of Peru. Retrieved on September 25, 2018 from History of Peru: historiaperuana.pe
- "Luis Guillermo Lumbreras" in Archeology of Peru. Retrieved September 25, 2018 from Archeology of Peru: arqueologiadelperu.com