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A Call for Latin American Public Archaeology: Decolonizing Study in Valdivia, Ecuador.

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Date Issued:
2023
Abstract/Description:
This study examines post-processual, critical theory, and decolonial perspectives applied to archaeology to establish an alternative practice that here is termed “arqueología comprometida” (committed archaeology). Considering the history of archeology in Latin America, its current context and the logic of archaeological practice, the objective of this contribution is not only to offer an assessment of the processes of making history, but to also provide a collaborative study relevant to both decolonial and public archaeology. The study is carried out in the Comuna Ancestral Valdivia (Ancestral Commune of Valdivia) (ACV), located in the province of Santa Elena, on the Ecuadorian coast. Historical analyses are structured to be critically evaluated from a decolonial perspective in order to characterize archaeology and to understand its wider and less obvious influence on societies. The alternative way of doing archeology proposed in this study incorporates the achievements and memories of local comuna members into the official history of the site and to establish a project focused on the material development of the local museum. In summary, this is an ethical and epistemological reflection of archaeological practice using anthropological methods to think through and propose a public archeology project that can be relevant and useful for people historically affected by colonial legacies in Latin America.
Title: A Call for Latin American Public Archaeology: Decolonizing Study in Valdivia, Ecuador.
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Name(s): Falcón, Wilmer Isaac Revelo, author
Martínez, Valentina , Thesis advisor
Harris, Michael , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Anthropology
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2023
Date Issued: 2023
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 202 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: This study examines post-processual, critical theory, and decolonial perspectives applied to archaeology to establish an alternative practice that here is termed “arqueología comprometida” (committed archaeology). Considering the history of archeology in Latin America, its current context and the logic of archaeological practice, the objective of this contribution is not only to offer an assessment of the processes of making history, but to also provide a collaborative study relevant to both decolonial and public archaeology. The study is carried out in the Comuna Ancestral Valdivia (Ancestral Commune of Valdivia) (ACV), located in the province of Santa Elena, on the Ecuadorian coast. Historical analyses are structured to be critically evaluated from a decolonial perspective in order to characterize archaeology and to understand its wider and less obvious influence on societies. The alternative way of doing archeology proposed in this study incorporates the achievements and memories of local comuna members into the official history of the site and to establish a project focused on the material development of the local museum. In summary, this is an ethical and epistemological reflection of archaeological practice using anthropological methods to think through and propose a public archeology project that can be relevant and useful for people historically affected by colonial legacies in Latin America.
Identifier: FA00014284 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (MA)--Florida Atlantic University, 2023.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Archaeology
Santa Elena (Ecuador : Canton)
Public archaeology
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014284
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU