This week’s blog post was prepared by first-year graduate student Demetrius Morales. Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15-October 15, and Demetrius did research on 3 Hispanic archaeologists to celebrate their contributions to the field.

Dr. Barba.
Source: El Economista

First is Dr. Beatriz Barba Ahuactzin (16 September 1928- 29 January 2021). Dr. Beatriz Barba’s life can be summed up by a few words: “Al mal tiempo, buena cara” (Put on a good face in bad times). Originally from Jalisco, Mexico, she decided to defy the social norms of the 1950s. In 1956, she became the first woman to graduate as an archaeologist in Mexico. In 1964, she founded the National Museum of Cultures. As she worked, her studies continued. In 1982, she obtained a teaching degree. In 1984, she obtained a Doctoral degree in anthropological sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She had helped in Archaeological excavations in Tlapacoya, Tlaltilco, Mexico State, and in the Guadalupe Valley, Jalisco. In 1986, as a researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), she studied the socioeconomic aspects of magical thinking in Mexico. For decades, she had supported research at INAH with the idea of comprehensive anthropological research, which incorporates archaeology, linked to family and marital life, as well as anthropology.

Dr. Ruth Shady.
Source: Universidad de Lima

Next up is Dr. Ruth Shady. Dr. Ruth Martha Shady Solis is a prominent Peruvian archaeologist, anthropologist, and educator. She is the founder and director of the Caral Archaeological Project and is celebrated as one of Peru’s most renowned female archaeologists. Shady enrolled at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in 1964, where she pursued two degrees simultaneously: Archaeology and Anthropology, as well as Education. After graduating, she earned two doctorates, one in Archaeology and another in Anthropology. Subsequently, the dean of Archaeology and Anthropology appointed Shady as the head of practices at the Institute of Peruvian Studies, marking the beginning of her many internship opportunities. In 1994, Shady made a breakthrough in her career with the Project Caral. Located in the Supe Valley, Caral provided evidence of the Norte Chico civilization, which may be America’s oldest civilization. This was confirmed when Shady published radiocarbon dates in the journal Science, indicating that the architectural construction at Caral took place between 2627 B.C. and around 2000 B.C., predating both the Incas and Olmecs. In 2003, the project was renamed the Caral-Supe Archaeological Special Project after it became independent from university funding. Currently, Shady hopes to open a museum on site to preserve the findings and continue research.

Last but not least is Luis Guillermo Lumbreras (1936-2023). Lumbreras was a Peruvian anthropologist, archaeologist, and educator, recognized as the founder of social archaeology in Latin America. His work emphasized the role of archaeology in social development, moving beyond mere data collection and analysis.  He earned his doctorate in Ethnology and Archaeology from San Marcos University in 1959. In 1965, he founded Peru’s first Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of San Cristóbal de Huamanga. He taught at San Marcos from 1966 to 1988, contributed to the establishment of its Faculty of Social Sciences, and became a professor emeritus at several universities. Lumbreras directed major museums, including the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and the National Museum. In 1982, he founded the Andean Institute of Archaeological Studies. From 2002 to 2006, he directed Peru’s National Institute of Culture, promoted the creation of a future Ministry of Culture, and advocated for the establishment of the National Museum of Peru (MUNA).  His research on the Wari culture established it as the

Luis Guillermo Lumbreras.
Source: solo-para Viajeros

first pan-Andean empire. He proposed a framework based on socioeconomic processes that includes the following periods: Lithic, Archaic, Formative, Regional Development, Wari Empire, Regional States, and Inca Empire. Lumbreras is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Peruvian and Latin American archaeology.

Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences at IUP