description Ricardo E. Latcham Overview
Ricardo E. Latcham was a Chilean archaeologist and ethnologist who studied the archaeology, history, and Indigenous cultures of Chile and neighboring parts of South America. His publications addressed subjects including pre-Columbian societies, material culture, and the Mapuche. Latcham helped shape early twentieth-century Chilean archaeological scholarship by combining field research, museum work, and comparative study of ethnographic and historical evidence.
help Ricardo E. Latcham FAQ
Where was Ricardo E. Latcham born, and when did he reach Chile?
He was born in Bristol, England, on March 5, 1869, and arrived in Chile in 1888 as a civil engineer. He later spent several periods in Araucania studying Mapuche life and language. [Memoria Chilena](https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-95872.html)
What did Ricardo Latcham write about the Mapuche?
His major 1924 work was La organizacion social y las creencias religiosas de los antiguos araucanos. The Chilean National Library record describes the book as a 626-page study of Mapuche social life and customs. [National Library of Chile](https://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND%3A8189)
What archaeological regions did Latcham study?
He worked on Chilean prehistory and conducted extensive research in the Atacama region. His bibliography includes Prehistoria chilena from 1929 and Arqueologia de la region atacamena from 1936. [Memoria Chilena](https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-95872.html)
What museum position did Ricardo Latcham hold?
He became director of Chile's Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in 1928 and held the position until his death in 1943. He was also the first dean of the University of Chile's Faculty of Fine Arts after its creation in 1929. [Memoria Chilena](https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-95872.html)
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