Underwater and Coastal Archaeology in Latin America

Diverse case studies that explore the relationship between humans and water environments

This volume features a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to underwater and coastal archaeology in Latin America. Showcasing the efforts of 82 researchers working across the region, the case studies in this book point to a long tradition of practices and beliefs related to the exploitation and management of aquatic environments, displaying a wide chronological vision that recognizes the vast and rich precolonial heritage of these waters.

Chapters on the pre-Hispanic period include an analysis of evidence about the exploitation of maritime resources, ritual practices related to water, ancestral navigation, and inundated cultural landscapes, addressing examples from Mesoamerica, the Central American isthmus, and the Andes. Historical case studies are also explored, including shipwrecks, harbors, and maritime coastal landscapes in the Caribbean, on the Atlantic coast, or in Patagonia. The countries represented comprise Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

The material landscapes of oceans, lakes, and rivers discussed in this volume contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic relationships between humans and their environments over time. By integrating the study of behaviors associated with waterscapes into the interpretations of past and current cultures, this volume introduces new ways of seeing Latin America.

Author Biography

Dolores Elkin is a principal researcher at Argentina’s National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and the director of the underwater archaeology program at the National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought.

Christophe Delaere is a researcher at the Center for Archaeological Research and Heritage at the Université libre de Bruxelles.