Liborio Zerda

Liborio Zerda (Bogotá, Republic of New Granada, 10 July 1834 (other sources state 1830 or 1833) - Bogotá, Colombia, 9 November 1919) was a Colombian physician and Muisca scholar. Zerda has been important in the natural sciences of the late 19th and early 20th century in Colombia, publishing many articles about various topics, from medicine to chemical analysis, radioactivity and the popular drink chicha.

Zerda was contemporaneous with other Muisca scholars, and influenced by them; Joaquín Acosta and Ezequiel Uricoechea. He analysed the work done by José Domingo Duquesne on the Muisca numerals and published in 1883 his major work ''El Dorado'' about the mythical ''El Dorado'', that he situated not in Lake Guatavita as is currently accepted to have been the site of the inauguration of the new ''zipa'', but in the Siecha Lakes in the Chingaza Natural National Park.

Liborio Zerda taught at the ''Colegio del Rosario'' in Bogotá for 60 years and died on 9 November 1919 in the Colombian capital. Provided by Wikipedia