Google commemorates the birth of Alfonso Caso with Doodle photo: Google screenshot
We are starting a new month, and Google celebrates it through a doodle, which is the banner found at the beginning of the search engine, it is updated daily with the highlights of the day, it could be an anniversary, the launch of a game or in its defect any important event with which humanity identifies and on this occasion it was dedicated to the late Mexican archaeologist Alfonso Caso, who today would be turning 127 years old.
Google commemorates the birth of Alfonso Caso with Doodle photo: Google screenshot
Alfonso Caso Andrade, a distinguished intellectual born in Mexico City on February 1, 1896, left an unforgettable legacy in the field of Mexican archeology thanks to his notable research and discoveries. His most notable achievements include the unraveling of the pre-Hispanic city of Monte Albán and Monte Negro, as well as the deciphering of writing systems of ancient cultures in Oaxaca. Caso Andrade, who served as the twenty-eighth rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and led both the Department of Archeology of the National Museum and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), was recognized with the National Science Award among other recognitions.
Alfonso Caso with President Lázaro Cárdenas, in Monte Albán (Courtesy INAH)
His work not only focused on expanding the historical knowledge of Mexico but also on protecting its archaeological heritage. Institutions such as the INAH and the National Museum of Anthropology, which today play a crucial role in preserving the country’s cultural legacy, were established under his initiative. Additionally, Alfonso Caso took significant steps to safeguard the traditions and history of indigenous communities through the founding of the National Indigenous Institute, an entity to which he dedicated years of service.
(Photo: Youtube/ National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples)
Throughout his career, Caso Andrade served as a professor at the National School of Higher Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National School of Jurisprudence and the National School of Anthropology. In addition, he held various relevant administrative positions, including the direction of the National Preparatory School, the National Museum of Anthropology and History, and the INAH. During his rectorship at UNAM (1944-1945), the Organic Law that currently governs the institution was established.
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Among his most notable publications are “The Zapotec Stelas” (1928), “The Religion of the Aztecs” (1936), and “The People of the Sun” (1953), in addition to his interpretations of important codices. He was founding editor of the Mexican Journal of Anthropological Studies and the Bibliographic Bulletin of American Anthropology. For his extraordinary contribution to science, he received numerous national and international awards, including the officer of the Legion of Honor of France and the National Prize for Sciences and Arts of Mexico in 1960.
Archaeologist Alfonso Caso and Martín Bazán in Tomb 7 of Monte Albán (Courtesy INAH)
Caso Andrade was also a member of prestigious global scientific societies and was awarded honorary doctorate degrees by several universities, including UNAM and the University of California, Los Angeles. Since its founding in 1943, he was a member of El Colegio Nacional, contributing significantly to academia and culture in Mexico. His legacy continues to influence current and future generations dedicated to the study of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past.