Max Uhle facts for kids
Friedrich Max Uhle was a German archaeologist. He lived from 1856 to 1944. His work in South America changed how people studied ancient cultures there. He explored countries like Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
Max Uhle's Life and Discoveries
Max Uhle was born in Dresden, Germany, in 1856. He earned his Ph.D. in 1880. Later, he worked at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. He married Charlotte Grosse from Philadelphia.
Uhle first studied languages, which is called a philologist. But he became very interested in Peru's ancient history. This happened while he worked at the Dresden Museum. In 1888, his friend Alphons Stübel suggested he focus on Peru.
Uhle first traveled to South America in 1892. He started his research in Argentina and Bolivia. This work was for the Konigliches Museum fur Völkerkunde in Berlin. In the same year, he published a book. It was called "The Ruins of Tiahuanaco in the Highlands of Ancient Peru." He wrote it with B. von Grumbkow. This book was the first deep scientific study of the ancient site of Tiwanaku in Bolivia.
Uhle returned to South America in 1896. This time, he had support from the American Exploration Society. He also had help from Mrs. Phoebe Hearst. He dug at Pachacamac, a site near the coast of Peru. He also explored sites from the Mochica and Chimu cultures. His report on Pachacamac was highly praised. It is still used to study South American archaeology.
During this trip, Uhle found about 9,000 ancient objects. These items showed over 3,000 years of history. They included Nazca pottery, shells, and textiles. He also found metals, wood, and objects made from feathers and bone. He focused on figuring out how old these items were. He created a system based on the designs in textiles. This helped archaeologists understand the timeline of ancient Peru.
Uhle later worked in the highlands of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile. In 1917, he was the first to describe the Chinchorro mummies scientifically. These are some of the oldest mummies ever found.
Max Uhle also helped with finding ancient animal remains. In 1926, he and Franz Spillmann found a nearly complete mastodon skeleton. They found it near Quito, Ecuador. With it, they found tools made of obsidian and bone. They also found about 150 pieces of pottery.
Uhle also made important discoveries in North America. He dug at the Emeryville Shellmound in California. Today, a school in Peru is named after him. It is called the Max Uhle School in Arequipa.
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