Dr. Johan Reinhard is currently (2011) an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at The Mountain Institute, Washington, D.C., a Visiting Professor at Catholic University, Salta (Argentina), and an Honorary Professor of Catholic University, Arequipa (Peru). Born in Illinois, he began his undergraduate studies in anthropology at the University of Arizona, before going on to receive his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Vienna, Austria (1974). Much of his research has focused on the sacred beliefs and cultural practices of mountain peoples, especially in the Andes and the Himalayas, and on preserving the cultural patrimony of indigenous peoples. Since 1980 Dr. Reinhard has conducted anthropological field research primarily in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador. His investigations have led him to present new theories to explain the mystery of pre-Hispanic ceremonial sites on mountain summits up to 6,739 m (22,109 ft), the Nazca Lines (giant desert drawings), and the ancient ceremonial centers of Machu Picchu, Chavn de Huantar, and Tiahuanaco. During 1989-92 he directed the first Andean underwater archaeological research project in Lake Titicaca, at 3,812 m (12,506 ft) the worlds highest navigable lake. In 1982-83 he and his colleagues conducted underwater archaeological investigations in two crater lakes, one on the summit of Licancabur at 5,850 m (19,192 ft) and the other at 5,800 m (19,029 ft) below the summit of Paniri (5,946 m/19,508 ft).

While making over 200 ascents over 5,200 m (17,060 ft) in the Andes, he led expeditions resulting in the discovery of more than 50 high-altitude Inca ritual sites. He directed teams that recovered four Inca human sacrifices on Ampato (6,312 m/20,708 ft). His expeditions in the Andes during 1996-1999 led to the discovery of fourteen more Inca human sacrifices on five mountains above 5,500 m (18,044 ft), including three perfectly preserved mummies at 6,739 m (22,109 ft) on Llullaillaco, the worlds highest archaeological site. In 1995 and 1999 Time selected Dr. Reinhard's finds as among the world's ten most important scientific discoveries for each of those years--making him one of the few scientists to have had his research chosen twice for this recognition.

He has lived more than ten years in the Himalayas, conducting anthropological research primarily in Nepal, in addition to having undertaken investigations in Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and the Garhwal Himalaya. His studies included: Himalayan shamanism (traditional religious practitioners); the role of sacred mountains in Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism; the sacred "hidden lands" of Tibetan Buddhism (six of which he has explored); and culture change from nomadic hunting-gathering to settled agriculture among the Raji. In the late 1960s he was the first to contact and study two of the world's last nomadic hunting and gathering tribes, the Raute and the Kusunda (speakers of one of the world's rarest languages), and to identify a Dravidian language (Dhangar) in Nepal. While in Nepal, he also directed Peace Corps Training Projects. Elsewhere in Asia he has conducted research on Muslim fishermen in the Maldive Islands (Indian Ocean) (1977) and traditional religious practices in Bali, Indonesia (2007).

While living in Europe, Dr. Reinhard participated in Austria's first underwater archaeological project (a Neolithic site at Mondsee) (1972). He was also a member of teams which undertook nautical archaeological research of Roman shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea off southern Italy (1965 & 1967) and of an Iron Age Villanovan village (1965) in an Italian lake (Lago di Bolsena). He has investigated sacred mountains and traditional religion in Greece (2002). In Mexico he was a member of underwater archaeological investigations (2007 & 2010) of sacred lakes of the Aztecs at 4,216 m (13,832 ft) on Mt. Toluca. In 2009 he participated on underwater archaeological research in Ecuador in the mountain lake of Culebrillas (3,915 m/12,844 ft) and off the coast of Bahia de Carquez. While in Kyrgyzstan in 2010, he examined underwater archaeological sites in Lake Issyk Kul.

He has served as a cinematographer for the BBC, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Scientific Film Institute of Germany, and his research has been featured in several TV documentaries, including National Geographic Explorer, NOVA, PBS, Discovery, History Channel, and BBC. He has lectured on cruise ships traveling in the Caribbean, along the Pacific coast of South America, and to Antarctica, the Galapagos, and Easter Island, and also lectured on round-the-world flights for the National Geographic Society. He speaks Spanish, Nepali, and German, and analyzed two unwritten languages, Raji (a Tibeto-Burman language) and Kusunda (a language isolate).

Dr. Reinhard has over seventy publications, including six books and is a member of several organizations, including the American Anthropological Association, the American Alpine Club, the Explorers Club, the Institute of Andean Studies, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Society for American Archaeology. Three museums have been built to exhibit the archeological finds made during his expeditions: the Museum of High Mountain Sanctuaries in Arequipa, Peru; the Museum of High Mountain Archaeology in Salta, Argentina; and a site museum in the village of Challapampa, Island of the Sun, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia.

He is a recipient of the 1987 Rolex Award for Enterprise in the field of exploration for his Andean research. In 1992 the Bolivian government awarded him the Puma de Oro, its highest distinction for archaeological research. The city of Arequipa, Peru awarded him its Gold Medal for his archaeological research in 1996. The Junior Library Guild selected his Discovering the Inca Ice Maiden as an "Outstanding Book" for young adults in 1998. In 2000 he was selected by Outside magazine as one of todays 25 most extraordinary adventurers, outdoor athletes, and explorers. In 2001 the Ford Motor Company chose him as one of twelve "Heroes for the Planet." In 2002 his finds of the frozen Inca mummies were highlighted by Time in their book Great Discoveries about the worlds most important finds in all fields of science. He was awarded the Explorers Medal of the Explorers Club of New York in 2002 and in 2009 the city of Bahia de Caraquez honored him with a Key to the City for his underwater archaeological investigation off the coast of Ecuador..

Recent publications include The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes (2005), Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center (2007), and Inca Rituals and Sacred Mountains: A Study of the World's Highest Archaeological Sites (2010) (with Constanza Ceruti). In 2010 The Nazca Lines: A New Perspective on Their Origin and Meaning (1988 edition) was made available as a Kindle (electronic) book on Amazon.com.

Anthropology, National geographic, Research & Exploration