Rafael Larco Hoyle (1901-1966) was a notable Peruvian scholar who excelled in various disciplines of knowledge, such as archeology, agricultural engineering, finance, and indigenous history. He was a sponsor and explorer of countless expeditions in which important pieces of pre-Columbian manufacture were discovered.
Larco Hoyle managed to gather important archaeological material of such great historical and patrimonial value for his native country. In 1926 he decided to found a museum to expose his collection to the general public.
The museum was named after his father, Rafael Larco Herrera, who was his model and inspirer in his passion for the art of Peru. This museum constitutes one of the most important cultural treasures of the Peruvian nation.
Biography
Rafael Carlos Víctor Constante Larco Hoyle was born on May 18, 1901 into a wealthy family in Peru. He came to the world at the Chiclin farm, Trujillo city.
He was the son of the politician and businessman Rafael Larco Herrera, of Italian descent; and Esther Hoyle, of English descent. Rafael Larco Hoyle held a dense and prestigious lineage, since his two families (both the paternal and the maternal) had economic, political and great social influence.
Rafael Larco, was prepared from a young age to occupy important positions within family businesses. He attended elementary school at the exclusive Modern Institute, located in Trujillo.
Then he attended the First National Benemérito College of the Republic of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is a Lima institution from which the most distinguished Peruvian citizens have graduated.
At age 13, he was sent to the United States to study high school at Tome High School in Maryland. At the age of 18, he traveled to New York to enroll in Cornell University, a private institution where he studied Agronomy.
At the age of 21, he studied engineering at New York University, and the following year he enrolled for a degree in Business Administration and Financial Studies.
His professional profile, in the theoretical field, was almost ready to assume the reins and lead the family sugar companies in his native farm in Chiclín. He just lacked practice; For this, he traveled to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and some European countries.
Life as an entrepreneur
Upon returning to Peru, he married Isolina Felicita Debernardi Alva. She already had a daughter named Carola Margarita, to whom Rafael gave his surname despite not being the biological result of the union. Later, her biological daughter, María Isabel, was born.
In 1924 Rafael Larco Hoyle had already taken control and direction of the family's sugar company in the Chicana Valley. He took care of modernizing it and implementing excellent social conditions for its workers.
This researcher and businessman had the privilege of being born in the north of Peru. This is an area rich in pre-Inca vestiges, many of which he found on his properties.
The passion for these archaeological treasures was such that he undertook numerous expeditions in the company of his family and friends. The objective was to excavate and find more elements with which to enlarge his already large collection of aboriginal objects.
He wrote multiple works documenting his archaeological findings, which constitute an important legacy for the understanding and study of the first civilizations settled in the Andean territory.
He passed away on October 23, 1966. He left the best gift to his homeland: the rescue of his memory and culture.
Contributions
It contributed to the chronological ordering of the different cultural phases of the Peruvian aboriginal settlements: from the most prominent to the most discreet. This meant a new way of organizing previous studies, as well as an interesting way of approaching the culture of Peru.
He classified these phases into seven periods:
I- Pre-ceramic
II- From the beginning of ceramics.
III- Evolutionary (or formative).
IV- Of the boom.
V- Fusional.
VI- Imperial.
VII- Of the Conquest.
His work represented a milestone in the studies of the original settlers, since before him these investigations had been entrusted to foreign researchers (German and North American).
This renowned Latin American researcher debunked many of the theories of foreign archaeologists who tried to give lessons to Peruvians about the origin and evolution of their own culture.
Achievements
- For his hard research work, Rafael Larco Hoyle earned the title of founder of the archeology of Peru. This honor is shared with fellow archaeologist and colleague, Julio César Tello.
- He was the pioneer in finding archaeological veins in the towns of Cupisnique, Queneto, Salinar, Pacopampa, Barbacoa and Virú.
- He dismantled theories of renowned archaeologists by stating that the remains of the Punkurí are older than the Chavín sanctuary; the latter is considered the cradle of the Andean civilizations. Larco argued that Peruvian cultural development began in the north of the country, then radiating to the south.
- The study of the lithic points of the town of Paiján began.
- Postulated as viable the symbolic communication system of the original groups of Peru. They transmitted their ideas through the use of a type of seed or spotted bean, known in the region as pallares (Quechua language).
- He promoted the theory of pallariform writing. This takes the natural stain patterns of these legumes to create a kind of graphic code or hieroglyphs for broadcasting messages.
Memberships
Rafael Larco Hoyle was appointed a member of several recognized associations in Latin America and Europe.
These organizations include the following: Sociedad Geográfica de Lima, Sociedad Argentina de Antropología, Sociedad Arqueológica de Bolivia, Sociedad Científica de Valparaíso, Societé des Americanistes de Paris, The American Geographical Society and the Rotary Club.
References
- Alegre, B. (2018). MCN Biographies.com. Recovered in: mcnbiografias.com
- S / N (2017) Treasures of the Past: The Legacy of Rafael Larco Hoyle. Recovered in: cosas.pe
- Larco, R. (1966). Peru. Archaeologia Mundi. Editorial Youth. Recovered at: academia.edu
- Larco, R. (1940). The Mochica. Recovered at: scribd.com
- Clifford, E (1967). Rafael Larco Hoyle. American Antiquy. Smithsonian Institut. Recovered at: cambridge.org