[Aztlan] Gene Savoy, Inka archaeological site "discoverer, " passes on

[Bruce Rogers]

Gene Savoy, 80; Explorer Found Lost Cities

(from the Los Angeles Times [Registration Required])

Gene Savoy, the swashbuckling adventurer who discovered the legendary Inca
city of Vilcabamba, hacked through the mountain jungles of Peru to identify
40 other cities and sailed the oceans in re-creations of primitive vessels
to prove his theories about the origins of indigenous South Americans, died
of natural causes Sept. 4 at his home in Reno.

He was 80 and had for several years suffered from heart problems that
prevented him from returning to the Peruvian mountains. Lean and lanky with
a bandido mustache and a Stetson hat, Savoy embodied the image of the bold
explorer. People magazine called him "the real Indiana Jones," and he did
his best to uphold the image, calling frequent news conferences to announce
his latest discoveries.

But archaeologists alleged that many of his "discoveries" had already been
mapped and reported by Peruvian archaeologists or were known to locals, and
that his publicizing their locations without scientific follow-up opened
them to looting and environmental degradation.

To read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-
savoy18sep18,1,6212200.story

Or: http://tinyurl.com/2z5nth