Memory of the World - Latin America and the Caribbean
Scientific Memory of Andean America: scientific expeditions and research in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Perú, XVIII-XIX Centuries
Over 10000 manuscripts graphic and printed testimonies comprise this documentary heritage from the 18th and 19th centuries from research carried out by European and American scientists in the presentday territories of Bolivia Colombia Ecuador and Peru either through private initiative or under sponsorship and patronage by the Spanish or French Crown The research greatly advanced scientific knowledge particularly in the fields of astronomy geography physics botany medicine and zoology Their contribution significantly revalued Andean culture through detailed descriptions engravings watercolours and photographs of sociocultural manifestations Part of this documentation constitutes a unique record of landscapes customs and archaeological evidence that have suffered alterations and in some cases disappeared due to natural or human actionThe scientific contributions began in the 18th century at the Royal Audience of Quito and lasted until the 19th century thus ending the old debate regarding the Earth´s shape and offering substantial contributions for humanity such as the discovery of the most important medicinal plant of this area cinchona cascarilla or quina which was used to cure or treat malaria This documentary collection on the scientific memory of Andean America is distributed between 14 archives and libraries in the aforementioned subregion as well as three in Spain
Ecuador -