- Arthur Posnansky
Arthur Posnansky (1873 - 1946), often called "Arturo", was a Polish engineer, explorer and
archaeologist . He best remembered for popularizing the archaeological site ofTiwanaku . He was born in Vienna on April 13, 1873 and died in La Paz, Bolivia in 1946.Posnansky was known as a prolific writer and researcher. He was self-taught archaeologist and also wrote ethnography. He was a member and later President of the Sociedad Geografica de Bolivia, based in La Paz.
Writings
In 1943 Posnansky published his final and most important book "Tihuanacu, the Cradle of American Man". In this book Posnansky argued that
Tiwanaku was constructed approximately 12,000 years previously by American peoples, although not by the ancestors of those then living in the area, the Aymara. Posnansky also saw Tiwanaku as the origin point of civilization throughout the Americas, including the Inca, the Maya and others. Both these ideas have since been challenged by archaeological research. It is now estimated that Tiwanaku was built beginning in approximately 200 A.D., and the ancestors of the Aymara are thought to be among the city's builders.Later life
Outside of Bolivia, where he is still widely read, Posnansky's writings have also been made popular by writers such as
Graham Hancock , who rely on Posnansky's now-discredited dating of the site to support their theories.As an engineer, Arthur Posnansky is also remembered for introducing the first car to Bolivia, and for being involved in the military dispute between Bolivia and Brazil over the territory of the Acre.
References
Ponce Sangines, Carlos. Arthur Posnansky: Biografia Intelectual de un Pionero. La Paz: Producciones "CIMA", 1999.
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