THE DEBATE ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLING AT THE BEGINNING OF XXI CENTURY.

LAURA MIOTTI; FLEGENHEIMER, NORA; SALEMME, MÓNICA

TAMUS- CSFA, A&M Texas University Press

Lugar: Texas; Año: 2011

A meeting on the peopling of the Americas was held at La Plata in November 2010; it was the fifth of a series of international symposia on this topic originally organized by Mexican scholars. This book and the bonds established between archaeologists are two main results this event produced. Both of them are crucial to the development of this area of inquiry and in different ways are relevant to fill in the gaps of research in the early peopling of South America and of the entire continent.    To appreciate the value of these contributions they should be placed in context. In our perspective, the production of knowledge about the peopling of the Americas in the last hundred years has been structured dichotomically between central and peripheral countries (Anglo-Saxon and Latin America). Also, we are convinced that archaeologists are builders of concepts, identities and cultural images; therefore, the viewpoint undertaken for archaeological research is relevant to its development. In consequence cultural heritage can be considered under a different perspective according to each researcher?s academic tradition. This book compiling papers from different Latin American archaeologists is an attempt to advance in the deconstruction of the dichotomy center-borderline between the academic environments of the central countries and those of Latin America. The challenge is to spread both the basic information and the ideas related to theoretical proposals in the arena of international discussion since, very often these remain caught in the countries where they are produced. On the other hand, current globalization processes are perceived as another way of colonialism. Also, we assume that the archaeological practice in Latin America related to the peopling of the New World is strongly influenced by: its Colonial past and the high percentage of Native and Afro-American people. Archaeologists, including those interested in early peopling, are nowadays becoming more aware of politic implications affecting archaeological theory and practice and are committed both with academy and society. In this presentation we address the evolution of the issues discussed at each session of the meeting (archaeology, genetics, cranial morphology, paleoenvironments, history etc.) bearing in mind this general perspective.