Pedro Armillas facts for kids
Pedro Armillas Garcia (born September 9, 1914 – died April 11, 1984) was a Spanish expert in anthropology and archaeology. He was a very important scholar who studied ancient cultures in Mesoamerica (parts of Mexico and Central America) in the mid-1900s.
As an archaeologist, he was known for his fieldwork and digs at many sites in central and northern Mexico. He also made important contributions to how we think about archaeology. Armillas was one of the first to study how farming and different ways of getting food influenced the growth of Mesoamerican cultures. He also looked into ancient irrigation and water systems.
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Life Story of Pedro Armillas
Pedro Armillas was born on September 9, 1914, in San Sebastián, Spain. In 1932, he earned a bachelor's degree from the Instituto Balmes in Barcelona.
When the Spanish Civil War began, he joined the Loyalist forces. After their defeat, he left Spain and moved to Mexico with his wife, Angeles Gil Sala, whom he married in 1937.
Work and Studies in Mexico
In Mexico, Armillas worked as a land surveyor. He also spent time with the Tzeltal people, an Indigenous group.
From 1940 to 1946, Armillas studied at the new National School of Anthropology (Escuela Nacional de Antropología). Later, he became a professor there.
Archaeological Discoveries
In the 1940s, Armillas led several excavation seasons at the important site of Teotihuacan. This ancient city is located in the Valley of Mexico. Other archaeologists like George Vaillant and Eduardo Noguera had worked there before him.
Armillas made important discoveries in the Viking Group area at Teotihuacan. He also did significant work in Oztuma, Guerrero. From 1952 to 1953, he worked for the New World Archaeological Foundation.
Teaching in the United States
Starting in the 1960s, Pedro Armillas taught at different universities in the United States. One of these was the University of Illinois at Chicago.
He passed away in Chicago on April 11, 1984. At the time of his death, he was an anthropology professor at the University of Illinois Chicago.
See also
In Spanish: Pedro Armillas para niños
