Shifting the paradigm of coastal archaeology in Latin America

Summary

How might knowledge of past fisheries contribute to the future sustainability of modern coastal societies? Small-scale coastal fisheries provide a crucial source of food and livelihood to millions of people living in South America. Such coastal economies are founded on long-established knowledge that is deeply rooted in the past. Whilst marine conservation, dwindling fish stocks and environmental sustainability have driven the research agenda in recent years, government and international organisations are now emphasising the pivotal role of local traditional knowledge for promoting sustainable development and poverty eradication in coastal areas of developing and developed countries. If traditional subsistence strategies are to be of value in promoting sustainable fisheries and coastal livelihoods in the future, a deeper understanding of their long-term history is required. We will present the results of a multidisciplinary research effort aimed at exploring and documenting the contribution of coastal archaeology to pressing issues in modern Latin America. We will demonstrate how coastal cultural heritage and traditional knowledge contribute to community livelihood and poverty mitigation in one of the poorest areas of Brazil. Coastal archaeology can effectively track the legacy of past fisheries to the socio-economic and cultural profile of contemporary societies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15804