Dr Ruth Martha Shady Solis (b. December 19th, 1946), is a Peruvian Archaeologist, anthropologist and educator. Founder and director of the Caral Archaeological project, Shady is celebrated as one Peru’s most renowned female archaeologists. Shady’s strength of character as a dedicated and impassioned individual, who adores her country and archaeology, began from an early age.
Shady’s father took her to ancient ruins often and gifted her a collection of history books every birthday to kickstart her curiosity in archaeology.
Finishing standard education, Shady enrolled into the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in 1964 wherein she studied two degrees simultaneously: Archaeology and Anthropology and Education (the latter in case she was unable to attain a serious career in Archaeology). After graduating, Shady completed two doctorates in both Archaeology and Anthropology. The dean of Archaeology and Anthropology then installed Shady as head of practices at the Institute of Peruvian studies giving her the first of many internship opportunities.
In 1994 Shady made her career breakthrough with Project Caral. Located in the Supe Valley, Caral displayed evidence of sustaining the Norte Chico, perhaps America’s oldest civilisation. This was confirmed following Shady’s publication of radiocarbon dates in the journal Science indicating Caral’s architectural construction was undertaken between 2627 B.C. and ~2000 B.C. predating the Incas and Olmecs. In 2003, the project was renamed the Caral-Supe Archaeological Special Project after being made independent from university funding. Presently, Shady hopes to open a museum on site to preserve and continue research.
Shady has recently incurred a number of achievements: the 2018 National Prize for Women in Science from L’Oreal, UNESCO in 2019, selected as one BBC’s 100 most influential and inspiring women in the world in 2020 and receiving Peru’s Order of Merit for Distinguished Services in 2021. Shady currently serves as a postgraduate professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at San Marcos.
Image from https://www.flickr.com/photos/presidenciaperu/50835636288
Amidst ongoing research, Shady has faced life-threatening encounters. Caral’s nearby lands hold potential for mineral exploitation and agricultural investments, however declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009, damage to the site is prohibited. This has not deterred invaders from interfering even shooting Shady in the chest in 2002. However, Shady continues to defend Caral and opened the initiative ‘Caral at school’ aiming to empower local Supe children about the importance of Caral and preparing them with the tools they need to defend and preserve them for the future.
As of now, Shady remains in hiding but remains motivated and armed with the vision and gratitude to all those who have aided and sought to ensure she achieves what she wanted continuing to unite and harness that love for one’s country and its history to ensure it is never lost or forgotten. Through her works, Shady also wishes to see social change particularly the diminishing of colonialism and poverty which remain present. If Peru’s ancestors could achieve so much in harmony and egalitarianism (as evidenced in Caral), then its descendants should be willing to learn and improve from and for them.
Guest Post by Norah Tapahuasco-Ortiz as part of the 2021 UCL TrowelBlazers Digital Fieldwork Project.
Dr Ruth Shady is an inspiration, fighting against corruption and powerful universities who want yo take the credit for work.