Maria Rostworowski

A Peruvian archaeologist who revolutionized understanding of the Inca Empire and preserved Andean cultural heritage.

Maria Rostworowski de Diez Canseco (1920–2016) was a Peruvian historian and archaeologist renowned for her groundbreaking work on the Inca civilization. Born to a Polish-Peruvian family, she became one of Latin America’s leading experts on Andean history, challenging Eurocentric narratives about pre-Columbian societies. Her research revealed the Inca’s sophisticated administrative systems and their road networks, reshaping global perceptions of indigenous achievements. Rostworowski also documented Quechua oral traditions, preserving endangered cultural knowledge. She co-authored the Historia del Perú, a seminal textbook still used in schools. Despite facing gender barriers in academia, she became the first woman to lead Peru’s National University of San Marcos. Her legacy endures through institutions like the Instituto de Historia'>Instituto de Historia.