Juan B. Ambrosetti was born in Gualeguay and from a very young age began publishing studies in the Magazine of the Zoological garden. Juan married the daughter of Eduardo L. Holmberg, the Director of the magazine, and was inspired by Eduardo to study the natural sciences. He soon was studying is Buenos Aires under his mentor, Eduardo. Juan Ambrosetti was a South American scientist who started archeological exploration in the Buenos Aires area, as well as the surrounding areas. He traveled all over the country, set out to fulfill scientific missions and gain knowledge for himself.
Juan became interested in archeology, specifically comparative anthropology. He began the task of organizing a section of paleontology at the Museum of Parana, and became an outstanding zoologist and paleontologist. Juan also designed a section of Archeology at the Museum of Natural History in Buenos Aires. Juan’s ability to write folklore and his knowledge of the sciences made him a very respectable man in Buenos Aires. By 1906, he became a professor of American Archaeology in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letras at the University of Buenos Aires.
Juan founded and organized the Ethnographic Museum which was the first institution dedicated to that discipline in the country. He formed this museum based upon his own personal collection, which had built up over the course of his many explorations.
Juan designed the museum so that it was beneficial not only to the students of the University but also to the general public. His work was considered multi-faceted because he understood such a broad range of studies, varying from historical studies to anthropological works. His collaborations were not only scientific but also in the realm of superstition and legend, making his work even more appealing to the public. In 1910, Juan was designated to Doctor of Honor in Cause by the University of Buenos Aires. By now he was recognized not only in South America, but also in America and Europe.
Juan wrote many works during his career, some of them based on folklore resulting from his extensive travels. They include; The Argentineans and His Folklore: Folkloric Trip of Maturrango and Other Stories , The Indigenous Devil: Superstitions and Legend in Argentina ,and Archaeological Explorations in the Prehistoric City of the Paya Campaigns of 1906 and 1907. The work of Ambrosetti has been documented in more than seventy publications and has been considered the first Argentine testimony of that discipline.
Juan Ambrosetti passed away in 1917 in Buenos Aires.
Public Anthropology, http://www.publicanthropology.org/Archive/Aa1917.htm, (2006)
Written By: Andy Becker, 2006