Rafael Larco Hoyle

Rafael Larco Hoyle during an excavation in 1935

Rafael Larco Hoyle (born May 18, 1901 in Trujillo , † October 23, 1966 in Lima ) was a Peruvian archaeologist .

Life

Rafael Larco Hoyle graduated from Cornell University as an agricultural engineer and graduated from New York University with a degree in finance . He returned to Peru in 1923 to manage the family property, the Hacienda Chiclín , in Trujillo.

In 1925 his father, Rafael Larco Herrera, bought a collection of vases and archaeological objects from his brother-in-law, Alfredo Hoyle. The arrival of these 600 pieces sparked Larco's enthusiasm. Shortly afterwards, his father entrusted him with this collection, which later became the heart of the Larco Museum ( Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera ).

For forty years he made important discoveries and carried out numerous significant archaeological excavations, thereby publishing several works. His main contributions to Peruvian archeology include:

• the first coherent chronology of ancient Peru, (1944).
• the discovery of the Cupisnique , Virú and Salinar cultures .
• the scientific study of the Moche and Lambayeque cultures , especially in the areas of environment, architecture, sexuality, ceremonies, religion, art, clothing and the knowledge that the Huaris , a large dominant state in Peru in the 9th century. The results of his work can be found in the eight-volume work Die Mochicas .

He defied Julio Tello's theory that the Chavín culture was the origin of all pre-Columbian cultures.

On July 28, 1926, he founded the Larco Museum, named after his father, in the Hacienda Chiclín . This museum was moved to Lima in 1958 , in its hacienda Pueblo Libre , whose style is adapted from the typical houses in Trujillos of the 18th century. Since then, around 45,000 exhibits have been presented to the public in six halls.

bibliography

Works:

• Los Mochicas, Vol. I: Capítulo I: Origen y evolución de los agregados sociales de la Costa del Perú. Capítulo. II: Geografía. Lima (Perú), 1938.
• Los Mochicas, Vol. II: Capítulos III, IV, V, y VI: La raza, la lengua, la escritura y el gobierno. Lima (Perú), 1940.
• Los Cupisniques: Trabajo presentado a la XXVII reunión del Congreso Internacional de Americanistas de Lima. Casa editora "La Crónica" y "Variedades" SA Lima (Perú), 1941.
• La Escritura Mochica Sobre Pallares: Extracto de la Revista Geográfica Americana. Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1942.
• La Escritura Sobre Pallares: Extracto de la Revista Geográfica Americana. Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1943.
• Cultura Salinar: Síntesis monográfica. Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1944.
• La Escritura Peruana Sobre Pallares: Ed. de las Relaciones de la Sociedad Argentina de Antropología. Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1944.
• La Escritura Peruana Pre-Incana: Sobretiro de "El México Antiguo". Revista Internacional de Arqueología, Etnología, Folklore, Pre-Historia, Historia Antigua y Lingüística. México DF, 1944.
• La Cultura Virú: Monografía. Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1945.
• Los Mochicas: (Pre-Chimú, de Uhle, y Early Chimú, de Kroeber). Síntesis monográfica. Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1945.
• A Culture Sequence for the North Coast of Peru: En Handbook South American Indians. Washington DC, 1946.
• Los Cupisniques: Síntesis monográfica. Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1945.
• Cronología Arqueológica del Norte del Perú . Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1948.
• La Cultura Santa , 1962.
• La Divinidad Felínica-Lambayeque , 1962.
• Las Épocas Peruanas, 1963.
• La Cultura Vicús, 1965.
• Museo Rafael Larco Herrera , 1965.
• Checan: Ediciones nail. Ginebra (Suiza), 1965.

German translations:

• Checan. Study of the erotic representations in Peruvian art (Munich. Nagel Verlag. 1965).
• Peru. (Heyne, Munich 1966).
• Peru. Love in art. Study of the erotic representations in art. (Geneva, Nagel 1978).

Web links

• http://www.museolarco.org/ (English)