Maria Reiche was a German mathematician and archaeologist dedicated to the study and conservation of the Nazca lines, ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca desert, in Peru.
In 1992 he received Peruvian nationality for his immeasurable effort in protecting the Nazca desert area and for his passionate work in Peru.
Maria Reiche arrived in Peru, escaping from the difficult political situation in Germany due to the authoritarian regime imposed by Adolf Hitler. In Peru her first job was as a German language teacher.
Biography
He was born on May 15, 1903 in the German city of Dresden and died on June 8, 1998 in the city of Lima. As a child she lived with her parents and her two brothers, Renate and Franz.
In 1932, she made her first trip to Peru, hired by the German consul to teach general culture classes to her children, and on that trip she was impressed by the cultural richness of the country, especially the towns of Cuzco.
He returned to Germany, where he would remain for a year, until he finally settled permanently in Peru in 1937.
There he met the American scientist Paul Kosok, with whom he began his first investigations in the desert of the southern region of Peru, a place where he would remain until his death.
Most important contributions
One of the greatest contributions to the world of universal culture was his research on the Nazca lines.
The scientist concluded that the famous geoglyphs were figures that represented an ancient astronomical calendar that ancient Nazi civilizations used to record climatic changes and cycles.
Thanks to their efforts, UNESCO declared the Nazca lines a Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1994.
It financed several projects to continue with the investigations of the Nazca culture and even began efforts to protect the area, due to the invasion of tourists.
He received numerous awards, among them the Congressional medal in 1981; the doctorate Honoris Causa from the Universities of Trujillo and San Marcos; and the Palmas Magisteriales award and the civic medal of the City of Lima, in 1986.
Maria Reiche was able to identify four of the figures on the Nazca lines. One of these was the hummingbird, of great importance in the Nazca culture, since it was considered the messenger between humans and the gods.
He also deciphered the figure of the giant bird, whose neck is that of a snake and its beak points towards the place where the sun rises; and the spider, associated with fertility and rain.
The authorities set up a museum in the place where he lived and dedicated his life. There you can learn about elements with which he carried out his work, his notebooks and have a vision of the humility with which he lived in order to develop his research.
References
- Diego Zuñiga, the story of the German who fell in love with Nazca, 2015. Retrieved on December 15, 2017 from dw.comal
- Mac Gregor Hilary, “Remembering archaeologist Maria Reiche”, 2015. Retrieved on December 15, 2017 from latimes.com
- Biography of Maria Reiche,. Retrieved on December 15, 2017 from historiaperuana.com