Arturo Montero was born the 15th of December, in 1961, in Mexico City. Descendant of a family with many generations in the army, he is the only son of the Artillery Major Alfonso Montero and the Lieutenant Nurse Luz Lidia Garcia. He began his studies in the Salesiano Private School. After that, from another teaching perspective, he studied the High School in the Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades of UNAM, and continued his career in public schools. In 1988 he graduated in Archaeology. Later, in 2005 he obtained his Ph.D. in Anthropology. Montero has discovered, at least, fifty archaeological sites in the high Mexican mountain. He is the author of seven books, has coordinated five more and has written fifty-two research articles that have been published in Mexico and abroad. Nowadays, he is the principal in the Universidad del Tepeyac’s Centro de Estudios de Posgrado, in Mexico.
Before begin his career in archaeology, he used to work as a volunteer in the Mexican Red Cross, in the emergency and ambulances department. He specialized in mountain and underground rescue techniques, and in 1988 he graduated as paramedic of the Escuela Sueprior de Medicina in the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. At the age of twenty-eight, in 1989 he reached the commander degree when he was appointed as the principal of the Escuela Nacional de Espeleología. Ten years later, he was named head of the Rescue Section in High Mountain. The next year, with his nearest collaborators, he founded the Unidad Nacional de Rescate para Terrenos Agrestes, focused on help vulnerable communities in remote regions in case of disaster. His last work in charge of a rescue section was carried out in 2005. At present, when there is a major emergency in Mexico he is requested by the Red Cross.
Exploration period: mountains and caves
Arturo Montero’s career began in 1985 with an excavation in the most elevated archaeological site in North America, the Iztaccihuatl volcano’s top at 5,260 meters above sea level. Since then, he has been involved in High Mountain and speleology archaeological-historic research, and also in exploration of rough terrain, diving and river navigation. He is considered by the “Wielka Encyklopedia Gór o Alpinizmu” as a great mountaineer in history in order to recognize his input to the mountaineering knowledge in the world.
He has led expeditions to the most important tops and chasm in Mexico, the Amazon, the Andes, the Polynesian, the Alps, Cuba, the Cascade Range, the Atacama Desert and the Galapagos Islands. Due to his research and documentation experience, he has been professor-researcher in the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, has taught, too, in Universidad del Tepeyac del Valle de México, Universidad Iberoamericana and Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia. Furthermore, he was invited as a teacher by the Universidad Nacional de Salta, in Argentina. He was vice president of the Unión Mexicana de Agrupaciones Espeleológicas (2002-2004). In 2007 he was co-director of the Subaquatic Archaeological Project in the Nevado de Toluca volcano. Now he is adjudicating to Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia and Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Moreover, he is an honorary member of the Comité Asesor para la Conservación de Materiales Arqueológicos de Santuarios Incaicos de Altura in Argentina, and member force of the CONACYT assesors’ registration.
Researching, documenting, and cultural and natural heritage preserving activities have taken him to be, in some moments, a member of the Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística; the Asociación Mexicana de Mastozoología; the Sociedad Mexicana de Historia de la Ciencia y la Tecnología; the National Cave Rescue Commission of the National Speleological Society; the Society for American Archaeology; and the Comité Asesor para la Conservación de Materiales Arqueológicos de Santuarios Incaicos de Altura. He is, also a member of the Consejo Asesor Académico del Parque Nacional Izta-Popo, Zoquiapan.
Since 2005, he coordinates the association Ipan tepeme ihuan oztome http://www.montero.org.mx, which is responsible for the dissemination of scientific culture, focused on archaeology, astronomy, history and anthropology topics, all of them linked to the cultural and natural heritage caring. This association also seeks to promote the value of the scientific culture and is formed by a group of professionals dedicated to social research from different areas of expertise. As part of this association, in 2009 Arturo Montero led the expedition 0°φ / 0 °C http://www.montero.org.mx/cayambe.htm, which discovered the world’s highest place in the Earth Equator path. In 2012, while the expedition to the Holtun cenote took place, he made archaeoastronomic observations over El Castillo, the main pyramid of Chichén Itzá, finding out that this is pointed to the zenith passage of the Sun to act as an astronomic marker and that it was used by the Mayas to adjust their calendar. In August 2013, the National Geographic magazine published this geometric astronomic model of orientation.
1988 Archaeology bachelor's degree, in Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, with the thesis Iztaccíhuatl, arqueología en alta montaña. Honorable Mention.
2000 Master’s degree in History of Mexico, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of UNAM, with the thesis Las formaciones subterráneas naturales en la historia de México. Honorable Mention
2005 Doctor’s degree in Symbolic Anthropology, in Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, with the thesis Los símbolos de las alturas. Honorable Mention.
2010 Postdoctoral degree, Universidad Iberoamericana, Social and Political Sciences Department, research line “Ambiente, sociedad y cultura en sociedades rurales”. With a scholarship from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Mexico) (CONACyT).
Prizes and awards
2008 State Award for Conservation, by Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Gobierno del Estado de México.
2002 National Award for Forrest Merit, by Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, International Year of Mountains declarated by UNESCO.
2000 Silver Medal, from Command of Honor and Merit, by Mexican Red Cross.
1999 National Merit Award, by Mexican Red Cross.
1999 Bronze Medal, from Command of Honor and Merit, by Mexican Red Cross.
1997 First Award for the Best Web Site, “Internet México” Second Competition.
1990 Perseverance Award, by Mexican Red Cross.
Expeditions and scouting
2014 Archaeoastronomic expedition to Fuji Mountain, in Japan. To commemorate “Año del Intercambio México - Japón”
2012 Expedition to Holtum Cenote. Logistics and assemble of vertical work in a National Geographic’s speleology-diving project.
2009 0°φ/0 °C Expedition (expedition zero degree of latitude, zero degree Celsius). Discovery of the world’s highest place in the Earth Ecuador path. Ecuador, from September 14 to October 2.
2009 Expedition to Galapagos Archipelago. Contemplations from Social Anthropology due to the ecological trouble and possible solutions. Ecuador from June 1 to 8.
2009 Mexican Archaeoastronomic Expedition. Astronomic calculations in the archaeological site “Cerro Catequill”. Instituto Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural, Ecuador, from May 27 to 30, International Year of Astronomy.
2002 Archaeological prospecting from the top of Cerro Negro or Malcante. 5150 m/nm, eastern Andean cordillera, Argentina, November 19.
1999 Prospecting of a route of overland approximation to Cabo Froward in Strait of Magellan, the most southern continental point in the American continent. In association with the Chilean Red Cross Aid Team, Punta Arenas affiliate. Chilean Antarctic Region.
1999 Speleoanthropology, prospection of the caverns Ana Te Pora and Ana Te Pahu in the Polynesia, Rapa Nui Island, Pascua.
1997 High mountain, Arctic expedition and sky alpino practice. South hillside of mount Mönch y Jungfraujoch, Swiss Alps; in glacier Mer de Glace, Chamonix, France, and Pico Helbronner.
1996 Andean-Amazonic Expedition of the Mexican Red Cross, crossing in jungle and partial sailing works; prospecting in Amazon’s rivers: Nanay, Napo, Momon, Marañon and Ucayali in a route of 1,000 km approximately, in the countries of Peru, Colombia and Brasil. Cartographic works with a moorage from the source of the Amazon River. In the high mountain, ice climbing and descent into the Glaciar Viejo del Huayna Potosi in the Real Andes, Bolivia. Climbing to Pico Chacaltaya in the Real Andes, Bolivia. Crossing through the arid zone in the environs of Nazca, Ica Department, Peru.
1996 Scouting, sailing and prospection in the Santa Maria River, Huasteca Potosina, routes of rapids, category IV. Participants: Asociación de Montañismo y Exploración of UNAM and Mexican Red Cross.
1996 Scouting and prospecting in the Zona Del Silencio (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango), Escuela Nacional de Espeleología of the Mexican Red Cross.
1995 Speleoarchaeologic Interdisciplinary Project Tekax '95. Participants: Sociedad Yucateca de Espeleología, Mexican Red Cross, delegacies D. F., Mérida and Tekax, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
1994 Archaeological prospecting of Pico de Orizaba volcano, in collaboration with Escuelas Nacionales de Alta Montaña y Espeleología of Mexican Red Cross and students from Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
1993 Descent into the Sótano del Barro, Querétaro. In that time, the deepest absolute vertical shot in the world. Participants: Escuela Nacional de Espeleología and Sección de Rescate Subterráneo of the Red Cross in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
1992 Speleogical Prospecting to Cuban Karso, Viñales, Cuba. Mexican Red Cross and Escuela Nacional de Espeleología.
1991 Climbing to Monte Hood, Oregon, EE. UU. Club de Exploraciones de México A. C.
1991 Descent into the Golondrinas (376 m) and Guaguas (202 m) basements, Escuela Nacional de Espeleología y Sección de Rescate Subterráneo of the Red Cross in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
1990 Prospecting to karso in Tekax, Yucatán, Escuela Nacional de Espeleología of the Mexican Red Cross, delegacies of Mérida, Tekax and Tizimin.
1990 Subaquatic prospecting into cenotes in Yucatán, Mexico. Escuela Nacional de Espeleología and Sección de Rescate Acuático of Distrito Federal, Mexican Red Cross.
1990 Logistical support to San Josecito speleoanthropological project of INAH and University of Texas, Nuevo León.
1987-1980 Spelology and prospecting in the Cacahuamilpa and Taxco area over many periods of time. Participants: Escuela de Montaña of Mexican Red Cross, delegacy of Naucalpan and after that with Escuela Nacional de Espeleología, too. Some of the explored places: Resumidero de La Joya, Cuevas del Gavilán I y III, Sotano Ibarra, Poza Melendez, Cueva de Coatepec de Harinas, Resumidero de Acuitlapan, etc. And also, emergency services in underground rivers as Chontacuatlan and San Jeronimo.
1985 Alpine stay in the top of the Iztaccihuatl volcano, over eleven days as part of the High Mountain Archaeological Project of Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas, UNAM.
1980 Descent into the San Agustín basement, Oaxaca. One of the deepest underground systems in the world. Rescue of two speleologists of the Polish Expedition to Mexico into 700 meters deep, in the place known as "Ruta 68".
1979 Descent into the Sótano de las Golondrinas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Third deepest absolute vertical shot in the world, Mexican Red Cross, delegacy of Naucalpan, Mexico.
2014 Manual de arqueoastronomía. Mesoamérica, edited by Ipan tepeme ihuan oztome (journal), México, D.F.
2013 El sello del Sol en Chichén Itzá, edited by Fundación Armella Spitalier (journal), México, D.F.
2012 Matlalcueye. El volcán del alma tlaxcalteca, edited by Gobierno de Tlaxcala – SEP Tlaxcala, México, D.F.
2011 Nuestro patrimonio subterráneo. Historia y cultura de las cavernas en México, edited by Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México, D.F.20
2010 En el vértice del Ecuador, edited by Ipan tepeme ihuan oztome, México, D.F.21
2009 Las aguas celestiales. Nevado de Toluca, edited by Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Subdirección de Arqueología Subacuática, México, D. F. 22
2008 Mapa de Cuauhtínchan II. Entre la ciencia y lo sagrado, edited by the Mesoamerican Research Foundation, México, D.F.23
2007 La montaña en el paisaje ritual, edited by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, first reprint, México, D.F.24
2004 Atlas arqueológico de la alta montaña mexicana, Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, México, D. F.25
2003 Taller básico de rescate agreste, edited by Cruz Roja Mexicana, first reprint, México, D.F.26
2002 Huizachtepetl. Geografía sagrada de Iztapalapa, edited by Delegación Iztapalapa del Distrito Federal, México. 27
2000 Tepeyac. Estudios históricos, edited by Universidad del Tepeyac, México, D.F.28
1992 Los Volcanes, símbolo de México, edited by Gobierno del Distrito Federal, México.29
