Italian Contributions to Andean Archaeology (1962-2018): An Unknown History

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Legacies of Archaeologists in the Andes: Second Symposium, the Institutionalization and Internationalization of Andean Archaeology" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Unlike other European countries, Italian archaeological research in the Americas started only after the Second World War. Nevertheless, links between Italy and Latin America are much older: in the mid-nineteenth century individual scholars of the caliber of Antonio Raimondi (1826-1890) had carried out important expeditions in the Andes mapping numerous archaeological sites. But historically, Italian institutions have focused on the large national archaeological heritage, paying little attention to foreign archaeology, except with a few exceptions. The insignificant Italian colonial history has not fomented research abroad, and the period of fascism has contributed even more to the isolation of the "bel paese". Since the post-war period, the situation has changed. Thanks to the research funded, albeit in a limited way, by public institutions often supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some long-lasting missions have taken place (mainly in Peru and Bolivia). This presentation will highlight the distinctive features of the Italian archaeological research methodology applied to Andean cases, starting from the Italian Archaeological Mission in Cajamarquilla (1962-1971) up to current investigation programmes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• The Legacies of Archaeologists in the Andes: Second Symposium, the Institutionalization and Internationalization of Andean Archaeology

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24004