Dr Betty Meggers is one of archaeology’s most recognised and respected scholars.   After nearly 70 years of research into the pre-Colombian cultures of Latin America, she continues to work each day at the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.  Her career has been prolific and not without controversy.

This month, she has been kind enough to talk to Science Hub.

“Accustomed as I am to the tropics, I have my office a little warmer than my colleagues,” says Dr Betty Meggers as she welcomes us to the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.  We find ourselves in a cosy room, among old maps, scientific papers, samples from the field and on the wall, dozens of degrees and other acknowledgements of her research.

She is a quietly-spoken, slight woman with an enormous reputation and a career spanning seven decades.  Her work as an archaeologist began at a time when field studies in the Amazon were difficult and scientific careers for women were still unusual.  In more ways than one, she is a pioneer.

“Having grown up in a scientific family – my father was a physicist – I was encouraged to pursue any interests.  It didn’t occur to me there would be a problem in pursuing a career as a woman,” she says.

“There were a number of women before me, ethnologists such as Margaret Mead and Gladys Reichard, and archeologists, such as Marie Wormington.

“During high school, I volunteered in the Division of Archeology at the Natural Museum of Natural History and when I went to the University of Pennsylvania, I also volunteered in the Registrar’s Office.  I expected to work in the same capacity, but was encouraged to an academic career.”

Her career continues to be a highly productive and controversial one.  She is best known for evidencing pre-Colombian, trans-Pacific contact between Asia and the Americas, and for rejecting the idea of an ‘El Dorado’, a large, wealthy city in the Amazon.  The ongoing debate among scientists over its existence, and over the carrying capacity of the Amazon rainforest basin continues to inform management practices for tropical ecosystems.

“Look for evidence for your theories,” is her best advice to those working on controversial topics.  “Just present the evidence.  Periodically, I write a rebuttal and otherwise I try to ignore the criticism.”

She has produced nearly 400 articles, book chapters and presentations publicising her findings, many co-authored with her husband, the late Dr Clifford Evans.  It was only after he died that people saw her as an equal contributor to their working partnership.

“Our collaboration was ideal.  He was excellent at technology and the management of projects.   I was better at theory and had the skills to draw maps, rim profiles of the pottery from our digs, and even some decoration for publication.

“When I got married, I had been working for a while.  After that, most of my income went to taxes.  Since we could live on Cliff’s salary and had enough research work for the two of us, that’s exactly what we did.

“One interesting result was that people assumed that I was just a handmaiden to his work.  It was only after he died and I carried on our programs that I got the credit I deserved.”

At the conclusion of our interview, as we prepare to leave, she dons her dust jacket in readiness for her day’s work in the archives.  At 87 years of age, her passion for archaeology and the intellectual rigour of science are obvious.

“I come in here every day,” she says.  “I don’t have a computer at home, and if I stay there, I’m tempted to do household chores.  More to the point, I still have a lot to do here, a lot of unfinished work.”

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