Constanza Ceruti, 2007 Women of Discovery Courage Award

"Climb with a humble heart." — Constanza Ceruti

High Altitude Archeologist

Born: 1973-01-01

Hometown: Salta, Argentina

Education: PhD in Anthropology

Achievements

Discoveries: In northern Argentina discovering three almost perfectly preserved Inca frozen mummies--found at 22,200 ft. on the summit of Mount Llullaillaco.

Expeditions: Over 100 ascents to mountain summits above 17,000 ft. in the Andes of South America, as well as climbs of mountains in Mexico, Nepal and Greece.

Biography

Dr. Constanza Ceruti is the only female Andean high altitude archaeologist in the world. She examines Inca ceremonial centers on the summits of Andean mountains to study the Inca Civilization, Dr. Ceruti co-discovered well-preserved frozen mummies at 22,200 ft., on the summit of Llullaillaco, the highest archaeological site on earth. With a PhD from the University of Cuyo, she is currently a Scientific Investigator of the National Council for the Scientific Research (CONICET) in Argentina, a Professor of Inca Archaeology at Catholic University of Salta, and in 2007 she was a distinguished lecturer in anthropology at the University of West Georgia.   Dr. Ceruti is currently an investigator for the National Council for the Scientific Research (CONICET) in Argentina, and a Professor of Inca Archaeology at Catholic University of Salta. She is the author of six books and more than forty academic publications, and has lectured and traveled throughout five continents. Ceruti was awarded the Gold Medal of the University of Buenos Aires and the Gold Condor of the Argentine Army and has been designated as an "Emerging Explorer" by the National Geographic Society and 2009 TED Global Fellow .

Fun Facts

Favorite Item to have in the field: Chocolates

Heroes: My parents, everything I have learned from them. And, high altitude archeologist, Dr. Johan Reinhard.