Archaeologies of the British in Latin America

This volume includes chapters by historical archaeologists engaged in original research examining the role of the British Empire in Latin America. The archaeology of Latin America is today a rapidly expanding field, with new research being accomplished every day. Currently, the vast amount of research is being focused on the Spanish Empire and its agents’ interactions with the region’s indigenous peoples. Spain, however, was not the only international power intent on colonizing and controlling Latin America. The British Empire had a smaller albeit significant role in the cultural history of Latin America. This history constitutes an important piece of the historical story of Latin America. 

Archaeologies of the British in Latin America presents the results of original research and begins a dialogue about the archaeology of the British Empire in Latin America by an international group of archaeological scholars. Fresh insights on the complex history of cultural interaction in one of the world’s most important regions are included. It will be of interest to historical archaeologists, Mesoamerican archaeologists engaged in pre-contact research, Latin American and global historians, Latin American anthropologists, material culture specialists, cultural geographers, and others interested in the cultural history of colonialism in general and in Latin America in particular.

Charles E. Orser, Jr is currently a Research Professor at Vanderbilt University. He is an anthropologically trained historical archaeologist who works in post-Columbian history, “modern-world archaeology.” His primary research interests lie in social theory, the archaeological analysis of social inequality and the material conditions of modernity. His research activities concentrate on the dispossessed and overlooked in history and to date he has investigated Native American (American Plains and Midwest) African (American South and Brazil) and Irish material conditions (Republic of Ireland). He is the founder and editor of International Journal of Historical Archaeology and the author of several books on historical archaeology.