Eduard Seler Explained

Eduard G. Seler
Birth Date:5 December 1849
Birth Place:Crossen an der Oder, Prussia
Nationality:German
Occupation:Anthropologist, ethnohistorian, linguist, epigrapher

Eduard Georg Seler (December 5, 1849  - November 23, 1922) was a prominent German anthropologist, ethnohistorian, linguist, epigrapher, academic and Americanist scholar, who made extensive contributions in these fields towards the study of pre-Columbian era cultures in the Americas.

Research

Seler is best known for his foundational studies concerning the ethnography, documents, and history of Mesoamerican cultures, for which he is regarded as one of the most influential scholars active around the turn of the 20th century. Seler laid many fundamentals in understanding and deciphering the Aztec pictorial script. A main contribution was the re-discovery and analysis of the basic Aztec calendar system: the existence of two Aztec calendars, a 365-day solar profane (everyday use) and a 260-day religious calendar. He also noted from the sources that the ceremonial killing victim figures alleged by Spanish priests and military (repeatedly reported as being greater than 10,000 or even 100,000) were most probably vastly exaggerated propaganda. This was supported by excavations in the late 20th century.

Being poor and of ailing health, he was helped and supported for decades by his wife Cäcilie (Cecilia) Seler-Sachs (1855–1935), physically and intellectually. Her photos of Aztec temples and pyramids are still useful to scientists, and after her husband's death she went about verifying his works and publishing them. Seler was also helped by Mexican scholar and historian Antonio Peñafiel.[1] [2]

Timeline

Writings by Eduard Seler

References

External links

Over a hundred images of Uxmal in Seler's 1917 "Ruinen von Uxmal". http://academic.reed.edu/uxmal/galleries/thumbnails/drawings/Drawings-Seler.htm

Notes and References

  1. Eduard Seler und Cäcilie Seler-Sachs, Pionere der Altamerikanistik. Freie Universität. Berlin. 2006. de.
  2. Der Geheime Code der Azteken, ein Dokumentarfilm von Saskia Weisheit, Deutschland 2009. Released on TV channel Arte. August 15, 2009. de.
  3. Web site: Using 19th Century Scholarship on a 21st Century Archaeology Project. James Brady.