Lúcio Menezes Ferreira

A persistência da teoria da degeneração indígena e do colonialismo nos fundamentos da arqueologia brasileira

The article examines the persistence of certain theoretical foundations of Brazilian archeology and Americanist thought. The theory of indigenous degeneration and the colonialist argument display a secular continuity characterized by common political and thematic lines. This is analyzed through a comparison of some of the topics addressed in the works of seminal figures like Karl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen, and Betty Jane Meggers.

Ordenar o Caos: Emílio Goeldi e a arqueologia amazônica

The paper analyzes the archaeological studies of Emil Goeldi (1895-1917) at Museum of Para, in the city of Belem, Brazil. It shows how Goeldi developed a systematic plan of surveys and archaeological excavations, organized collections and defined a regional problem to research. It emphasizes the way Goeldis archaeological and ethnological studies were articulated to a colonial policy.

Arqueologia como prática política

Lucio Menezes Ferreira Universidade Federal de Pelotas Pedro Paulo Abreu Funari Universidade Estadual de CampinasA arqueologia iniciou-se, como disciplina cientifica, na esteira do imperialismo das grandes potencias. A empreitada arqueologica inseria-se no dominio colonial, como parte de disputas estrategicas. Nao a toa, os arqueologos ligavam-se aos servicos militares ou de informacao e serviam a agendas voltadas para o controle material e ideologico das periferias. Ao lado dessa vertente imperial, a disciplina,

Ciência nômade: o IHGB e as viagens científicas no Brasil imperial

Approaching from a neo-colonial perspective, this analysis examines the scientific voyages of the Instituto Historico e Geografico Brasileiro (IHGB) as part of a broader process by which science spread around the world and historical and geographic representations were constructed in imperial Brazil. It first shows how nationalism and imperialism in Europe underpinned the epistemology of natural history and scientific voyages. It next goes on to show how colonialist projects relate to the IHGBs natural history, archeological, and ethnographic texts. Lastly, since the intent of every historical discourse is to critique the present, the article engages in a dialogue with the colonialist idea of Brazil fashioned during the imperial age; it emphasizes how this idea is not a dead file but remains with us still, internalizing our social identities.

Historical Archaeology Outlook: A Latin American Perspective

This article begins with the history of historical archaeology as an American discipline spreading to the rest of the globe. It then considers that the discipline will develop more and more on peripheral areas, and that an Anglo-Saxon emphasis on capitalism and globalization will be challenged by cultural, even nationalist, subjects and perspectives, as these differences will play a growing role in 21st-century politics and academia. A Latin American approach is then proposed, stressing local issues and cultural specificities and such innovative concepts as transculturation and mixed societies. The archaeology of slavery and rebellion is emphasized. A comparative approach is a fertile strategy with which to explore the different ways Latin America material culture may be used to study exploitation and resistance in a process linked to identity building in different countries. The article then concludes by predicting that, from its origin as a “WASP” discipline, historical archaeology may really become the study of material culture relevant to people worldwide.