Maria Reiche
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Maria Reiche Grosse-Neumann (15 May 1903 – 8 June 1998) was a German-born Peruvian
mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...
,
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
, and
technical translator Technical translation is a type of specialized translation involving the translation of documents produced by technical writers (owner's manuals, user guides, etc.), or more specifically, texts which relate to technological subject areas or texts w ...
. She is known for her research into the
Nazca Lines The Nazca Lines are a group of geoglyphs made in the soil of the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. They were created between 500 BCE and 500 CE by people making depressions or shallow incisions in the desert floor, removing pebbles and le ...
, which she first saw in 1941 together with American historian
Paul Kosok Paul August Kosok (21 April 1869 – 1959), was an American professor of history and government, who is credited as the first serious researcher of the Nazca Lines in Peru. His work on the lines started in 1939, when he was doing field study relat ...
. Known as the "Lady of the Lines", Reiche made the documentation, preservation and public dissemination of the Nazca Lines her life's work. She was widely recognized as the curator of the lines and lived nearby to protect them. She received recognition as Doctor Honoris Causa by the
National University of San Marcos The National University of San Marcos ( es, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, link=no, UNMSM) is a public research university located in Lima, the capital of Peru. It is considered the most important, recognized and representative educ ...
and the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria in Lima. Reiche helped gain national and international attention for the Nazca Lines; Peru established protection, and they were designated a
UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in 1994. Following her death, her former home in Nazca was converted into a museum, the ''Museo Maria Reiche''. She is honored as the namesake of
Maria Reiche Neuman Airport The Maria Reiche Neuman Airport is a small airport serving Nazca, in the Ica Region of Peru. The airport is named after Maria Reiche, a principal researcher and proponent of the Nazca Lines. The airport receives a small number of domestic ch ...
in Nazca, the Park Maria Reiche in Miraflores''Las figuras enigmáticas de las Pampas de Nasca, vuelven a brillar en el Parque María Reiche de Miraflores.''
miraflores.gob.pe, 2020-09-07. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
and of some fifty schools and other institutions in Peru. The 115th anniversary of her birth was commemorated with a
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in May 2018.


Early life and education

Maria Reiche was born in
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
on 15 May 1903 to Felix Reiche Grosse and Ana Elizabeth Neumann. She studied mathematics, astronomy, geography and foreign languages at the
Technische Universität Dresden TU Dresden (for german: Technische Universität Dresden, abbreviated as TUD and often wrongly translated as "Dresden University of Technology") is a public research university, the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, th ...
. She learned to speak five languages. In 1932 as a young woman, she went to Peru to work as a
governess A governess is a largely obsolete term for a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching. In contrast to a nanny, th ...
and tutor for the children of the German consul in
Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...
. In 1934, while still in Cusco, she accidentally stabbed herself with a cactus and lost a finger to
gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...
. In 1939, she became a teacher in
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
and also worked on scientific translations. When
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
broke out that year, Reiche stayed in Peru. The next year she met American
Paul Kosok Paul August Kosok (21 April 1869 – 1959), was an American professor of history and government, who is credited as the first serious researcher of the Nazca Lines in Peru. His work on the lines started in 1939, when he was doing field study relat ...
, who was researching ancient irrigation systems in the country. She assisted him with making arrangements in the country, including a flight in 1941 by which she first saw the lines and figures of Nazca from the air. They collaborated for years on further studies of these earthworks, trying to determine how they were made and, with more difficulty, for what purpose.


Nazca lines

In 1940, Reiche became an assistant to
Paul Kosok Paul August Kosok (21 April 1869 – 1959), was an American professor of history and government, who is credited as the first serious researcher of the Nazca Lines in Peru. His work on the lines started in 1939, when he was doing field study relat ...
, an American historian from
Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...
in
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, who was studying ancient irrigation systems in Peru. In June 1941 Kosok noticed lines in the desert that converged at the point of the
winter solstice The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winte ...
in the Southern Hemisphere. Together he and Reiche began to map and assess the lines for their relation to astronomical events. Later Reiche found lines converging at the
summer solstice The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer ...
and developed the theory that the lines formed a large-scale celestial calendar. Around 1946, Reiche began to map the figures represented by the Nazca Lines and determined there were 18 different kinds of animals and birds. After Kosok left in 1948, after his second study period in Peru, Reiche continued the work and mapped the area. She used her background as a mathematician to analyze how the Nazca may have created such huge-scale figures. She found these to have a mathematical precision that was highly sophisticated. Reiche theorized that the builders of the lines used them as a sun
calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...
and an
observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
for
astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies ...
cycles. Because the lines can be best seen from above, she persuaded the
Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force ( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea del Perú, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguardin ...
to help her make aerial photographic surveys. She worked alone from her home in Nazca. Reiche published her theories in the book ''The Mystery on the Desert'' (1949, reprint 1968). She believed that the large drawing of a giant monkey represented the constellation now called Ursa Major (Great Bear). Her book had a mixed response from scholars. Eventually scholars concluded that the lines were not chiefly for astronomical purposes, but Reiche's and Kosok's work had brought scholarly attention to the great resource. Some researchers believe that the lines were made as part of worship and religious ceremonies related to the "calling of water from the gods.""The Nazca Lines"
Peru Cultural Society
Archived
from the original on 2012-01-28. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
Reiche used the profits from the book to campaign for preservation of the Nazca desert and to hire guards for the property and assistants for her work. Wanting to preserve the Nazca Lines from encroaching traffic after one figure was cut through by the
Pan American Highway The Pan-American Highway (french: (Auto)route panaméricaine/transaméricaine; pt, Rodovia/Auto-estrada Pan-americana; es, Autopista/Carretera/Ruta Panamericana) is a network of roads stretching across the Americas and measuring about in to ...
government development, Reiche spent considerable money in the effort to lobby and educate officials and the public about the lines. After paying for private security, she convinced the government to restrict public access to the area. She sponsored construction of a tower near the highway so that visitors could have an overview of the lines to appreciate them without damaging them. Reiche contributed to the lines becoming a World Heritage site in 1994. In 1977, Reiche became a founding member of
South American Explorers South American Explorers, headquartered in Ithaca, New York, was a nonprofit travel, scientific, and educational organization founded in 1977. Its goals were advancing field exploration and research in South and Central America on subjects such a ...
, a non-profit travel, scientific and educational organization. She was on the organization's advisory board and was interviewed for the ''South American Explorer'' on the lines' significance and importance.


Personal life

Reiche once confessed that at age 40, she passionately fell in love with one of her students, but never said the name. She only said he was "a red-haired man with freckles". According to her long-time friend Clorinda Caller, he was a young Jew who may have had poliomyelitis. This man spoke several languages and also worked as a UN translator. Reiche's best friend was Amy Meredith, who not only was the first person to fund her work, but also played a key role in Maria's interest in the Nazca lines, since she ran a Café — called the "Tearoom" — where many intellectuals gathered, including
Julio C. Tello Julio César Tello (April 11, 1880 – June 3, 1947) was a Peruvian Archaeology, archaeologist. Tello is considered the "father of Peruvian archeology" and was the first indigenous people of the Americas, indigenous archaeologist in South America ...
and Paul Kosok. It was in this place where Reiche got to meet both scientists. The death of Meredith in January 1960 had a huge impact in Maria's life. Reiche's health deteriorated as she aged. She used a wheelchair, suffered from skin ailments, and lost her sight. In her later years, she also suffered from
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
. At the age of 90 she published ''Contributions to Geometry and Astronomy in Ancient Peru''. Maria Reiche died of
ovarian The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. T ...
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
on 8 June 1998, at Fuerza Aérea del Perú (Peruvian Air Force) Hospital, at
Las Palmas Air Base Las Palmas Air Base is a military airport in Santiago de Surco District, city of Lima, Peru. It is administered by the Peruvian Air Force (abbreviated FAP), one of three branches of the Peruvian Armed Forces. The runway length does not include a ...
in Santiago de Surco, Lima, Peru. Reiche was buried with her sister, Dr Renate Reiche-Grosse, near Nazca with official honors. A street and school in Nazca are named for her.


References


External links


Asociación Maria Reiche
website, non-profit for conservation and preservation of the Lines and Figures of Nasca
Association "Dr. Maria Reiche – Lines and Figures of the Nasca culture in Peru"
University of Applies Sciences, Dresden
''Homepage Maria Reiche''Zetzsche, Viola and Schulze, Dietrich: Biography of Maria Reiche, ''Picture Book of the Desert – Maria Reiche and the Ground Designs of Nasca''
Mitteldeutscher Verlag Halle, September 2005, *

(with literature from Peru)

Anita Jepson-Gilbert, Nazca Resources. {{DEFAULTSORT:Reiche, Maria 1903 births 1998 deaths 20th-century women scientists Andean scholars TU Dresden alumni Archaeologists from Dresden Peruvian archaeologists Recipients of the Order of the Sun of Peru German women archaeologists Peruvian women archaeologists Deaths from ovarian cancer German emigrants to Peru Deaths from cancer in Peru Technical translators German governesses People with Parkinson's disease 20th-century women writers 20th-century translators 20th-century archaeologists