The archaeology of cultural interactions in French Guiana

Summary

The Guyanese cultural map changed just before the arrival of the Europeans in the territory. The first European explorers to reach Guiana therefore met recently restructured Native Amerindian groups. When the French settled and brought with them African slaves to work on their plantations, they increased the ethnic diversity of the Cayenne region. In this perspective, Cayenne Island was an area where cultural interactions and blends between the various groups in place were intense and frequent. The analysis of archaeological collections from various plantations and a pottery factory, as well as comparative studies of native and colonial pottery, indicates that certain objects reflect the social and cultural permeability of the Guyanese production during the 17th century. This presentation will explore the theme of cultural interaction and the process of creolization between Native American, European, and African populations as observed on ceramic assemblages and colonial settlements from French Guiana.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Historical (Colonial) Archaeology in the French Départements d’Outre Mer.   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 360