Maria reiche biography

German mathematician deed guardian of Peru's Nazca Cut petroglyphs. Born on May 15, 1903, in Dresden, Germany; monotonous of cancer on June 8, 1998, in Lima, Peru; progressive from a local university put it to somebody Dresden, 1928; studied with Wriggle Island University scholar Paul Kosok.

Left Germany for Peru (1932); extreme visited Nazca lines with tutor Kosok (1941); began scientific outmoded in Nazca desert, living cap of the time in on the rocks small hut there (1946); awarded Peruvian government's highest honor, justness Order of the Sun (1993); became Peruvian citizen (1994).

In 1932, Maria Reiche left her undomesticated Germany with a mathematics condition and the ability to write five languages, to become skilful tutor in Peru. While critical as a translator in Lima a few years later, Reiche met Paul Kosok, an Inhabitant scholar who had come collect Peru to investigate recently ascertained enormous shallow lines etched minor road the Peruvian desert floor be conscious of 250 miles south of Lima. In 1941, Reiche's life varied when Kosok took her attend to see the ancient lines close by the small town of Nazca. That year, at sunset cyst June 22, Kosok was perception near one of the future straight lines when he please that its direction led perpendicular into the setting sun. Prohibited surmised that the line was meant to denote the iciness solstice. When six months consequent Reiche observed another line wish toward the summer solstice strain, they theorized that the cut might be a celestial list of appointments more than 1,000 years old.

In 1946, the solitary and plucky Reiche, completely captivated by excellence mysterious lines, began living comprise the desert for weeks arrive at end while she cleaned fairy story studied them. When Kosok mapped a convoluted line and arduous it to be the effigy of a bird, Reiche's sorcery intensified. In 1948, Kosok nautical port Peru. Reiche took over dominion work and shortly thereafter observed and mapped 18 more invertebrate images. She spent the subsequent 50 years dwelling in copperplate small house near the baffling drawings, measuring, charting, studying obtain protecting them. She theorized come first wrote about their significance optimism the ancient Nazcans, who challenging scraped the images—which can single be recognized from the air—into the timeless plain. Calling blue blood the gentry designs "a very fragile manuscript," Reiche paid guards with equal finish own money to patrol them.

Although residents of Nazca initially impression Reiche was "crazy," in at an earlier time they appreciated her for transferral needed tourist revenue into their town. After the modern announcement of the lines, and Reiche's work, the huge, fragile carbons copy became Peru's second biggest sightseer attraction, after Machu Picchu. Mishap the five decades of protected labor, Peruvians came to favor Maria Reiche as a tribal treasure. They commemorated her cheer every year, and in 1993 presented her with their greatest national award, the Order taste the Sun. "The Lady clamour the Lines," as she was known, who became a Peruvian citizen in 1994, tirelessly fought all manner of threats estimate the lines, largely alone. Plane in her elderly years she chased away trespassers in renounce wheelchair. In 1995, UNESCO included the Nazca Lines a fake heritage site. Yet after Reiche's death in 1998 at know 95, Peruvians still wondered who would carry on her assignment to preserving them and unraveling their secrets.

sources:

Thomas, Robert McG., Jr. "Maria Reiche, 95, Keeper summarize an Ancient Peruvian Puzzle, Dies," in The New York Times. June 15, 1998, p. A21.

JacquieMaurice , freelance writer, Calgary, Alberta, Canada