Venezuelan Historical Archaeology: Current Perspectives on Contact, Colonialism, and Independence

This volume offers a comprehensive overview of the historical archaeology of Venezuela, marking the first time such a detailed study is available in both English and Spanish. It compiles the work of leading Venezuelan archaeologists and includes recent fieldwork and unpublished research, covering a wide range of case studies from precolonial times to the republican period.

Structured in five parts, the book starts with a thorough review of the history of Venezuelan historical archaeological research, highlighting its contributions and future directions. The first section explores precolonial and contact period indigenous realities, while the second examines the indigenous experiences of colonialism, missionization, and landscape changes. The third section investigates the production of key Venezuelan commodities: coffee, sugar, salt, and contraband activities. The fourth section focuses on the archaeology of foundational cities like Coro, Santo Tom? Maracaibo, and the development of Caracas. The fifth section looks at everyday life, including the rise of consumerism and the social practices surrounding death. An afterword emphasizes the importance of a critical historical approach in anthropology and archaeology.

Richly illustrated and well-referenced, this book highlights the extensive and diverse historical archaeological research in Venezuela, offering new insights to both Spanish and non-Spanish-speaking scholars. It aims to influence historical archaeology in Latin America, the Caribbean, and globally with its bilingual presentation.