ABSTRACT
The beginnings of archaeology in the South American continent can be traced back to the first European scientific missions to the New World during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Although usually headed by geologists, geographers and naturalists, these missions were multidisciplinary and holistic in nature. This new approach, which opened up European eyes to the exotic landscapes, flora and fauna of South America, also included accounts about the people and cultures of these remote lands both past and present. In this sense, along with detailed descriptions of new species of animals and accurate measurements of geographic features, these reports illustrated some of the most emblematic archaeological remains of South America.
