File: <hristov.htm> Index Archeology
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Department
of Anthropology E-mail: rhristov@unm.edu  Background
Romeo H. Hristov is an
archaeologist specializing in Mesoamerica. He holds an undergraduate studies in
archaeology from the National School of Anthropology and History of Mexico,
and Ph.D. (ABD) in Prehistory/Archaeology from the University of Salamanca,
Spain. At present, he is an Associate of Anthropology in the University of
New Mexico in Albuquerque, and currently concluding his Ph.D. dissertation
and a book on the possible Trans-Atlantic voyages before Columbus. In 1990 Romeo H. Hristov began a
complementary research on several supposedly Old World objects, found in more
or less reliable Mesoamerican archaeological context. From 1994 to 1998 this
research was incorporated in an archaeological project, primarily sponsored
by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACyT). Some
additional research funds also came from the Lloyd Gotsen Trust in Santa
Monica (CA), the Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies/Brigham
Young University (F.A.R.M.S./BYU) in Provo (UT), and New England Antiquities
Research Association (NEARA). The project was co-directed by Romeo H. Hristov and Santiago Genoves T., emeritus
professor of anthropology in the Institute of Anthropological Research in
Mexico, and former participant in the RA I and RA II
Expeditions with Thor Heyerdahl. Among the above mentioned finds of
particular interest is an apparent Roman terra-cotta head found in
pre-Hispanic burial offering near Mexico City. Due to its discovery during
controlled archaeological excavation, and in context without apparent traces
of alterations, this find suggests that several centuries before the
memorable voyages of Columbus and the Vikings, there had been another,
perhaps accidental, crossing of the Atlantic ocean from ancient Mediterranean
mariners. Recent stylistic analysis has corroborated the identification of the
artifact as Roman, and thermoluminiscence (TL) age test has established its
age limits between IX BC-XIII AD centuries, which is consistent with the
Roman origin hypothesis. Research Interests: Mesoamerican
Archaeology, Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and History, Ancient
Seafaring, Pre-Columbian Transoceanic Contacts Calixtlahuaca’s Head Recent Publications Web Links Research Projects This web page was made with
the technical assistance of Andrew Basler |
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