|
Since 1980, Johan Reinhard has conducted anthropological field research in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador. Much of his current research focuses on the sacred beliefs and cultural practices of mountain peoples, especially in the Andes and the Himalaya. His investigations have led him to develop new theories to explain the mysteries of pre-Hispanic ceremonial sites on mountain summits, the Nasca Lines, and the ancient ceremonial centers of Machu Picchu, Chavin, and Tiahuanaco.
From 1989 to 1992, Reinhard directed the first Andean underwater archaeological research project. In later research he recovered the Inca ice maiden mummy on Peru's Mount Ampato, a discovery chosen by Time magazine as one of the world's ten most important scientific discoveries of 1995. His expeditions in the Andes during 1996-99 led to the discovery of 14 more Inca human sacrifices on five mountains higher than 18,000 feet (5,490 meters), including three remarkably preserved mummies on Argentina's Mount Llullaillaco, the world's highest archaeological site. That discovery was the cover story of the November 1999 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Reinhard has authored more than 70 publications, including five books, and is a member of several organizations, including the American Anthropological Association, the Institute of Andean Studies, the Explorers Club, the American Alpine Club, and the Royal Geographical Society. His book The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes was published in 2005 by National Geographic.
