Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cristiana Barreto
∗
Texto publicado no catálogo da exposição Amazônia, Native Traditions realizada em 2004 em
no Museu da Cidade Imperial, Pequim, China. (Catálogo editado por Luís Donisete Benzi
Grupioni e Cristiana Barreto, São Paulo, BrasilConnects, 2004).
These sharp contrasts, rather than undermine the task of showing
Amazonian traditions in China or intimidate the consideration of their antiquity
and technical achievements, have instead inspired and helped us to organize the
exhibition, in terms of showing contents that we believe will be intuitively
understood by the Chinese public. We therefore chose to directly address the
question of antiquity, of technological advances, of the unity of an enormous
region, its artistic traditions and its cultural means of preserving them, themes
and perspectives that are very much known to the Chinese in their own country.
Accordingly, the first part of this exhibition is composed of objects primarily
related to Ancient Amazonia, i.e., its cultural traditions from the past before
European colonization of the region, a past that is known only through
archaeological research and the material remains that have survived until our
times.
Conclusion
When displaying objects that have survived in the archaeological record of
past Amazonian societies one needs to constantly keep in mind that stone and
ceramic objects must have been but a small part of the diverse material cultural
universe of these peoples. We know that a wide range of other objects made of
wood, leather, cotton, bone, shells, seeds, feathers and many other materials
must have existed in the past, perhaps displaying just as many symbolic
meanings as the stone and ceramic objects we can admire.
Among the earliest indigenous materials to reach Europeans were the
colorful works of feather that seemed so exotic, and which were to be forever
associated with Amazonian peoples, in a way overshadowing the other aspects
of a rich repertoire of utilitarian and ceremonial objects fully embued with
symbolic meanings.
Objects have an enormous potential for telling stories and are normally
used in exhibitions as means to recreate particular universes. Non-material
expressions such as music, stories, myths, designs, and beliefs are also
important to define and communicate Amazonian traditions. Unfortunately, in the
case of Ancient Amazonia, only material objects and, often, just fragments of
these objects, are the only clues left by this rich cultural tradition.
Archaeology can, however, unveil the deep knowledge embedded in the
making and use of these objects, the same way it has brought attention to how
the past peoples of Amazonia have, for millennia, managed and sustained large
populations in the forest.
This exhibition also hopes to show how the material culture of ancient
Amazonia can open new perspectives on how contemporary indigenous objects
can be viewed, showing not only the long history behind them, but also alerting
for the importance of preserving this rich cultural heritage.
Acknowledgements
This paper benefits from discussions about Amazonian material culture with many
archeology colleagues who, in one way or another, have brought to my attention
different ways of reading objects and interpreting their meanings, in particular Eduardo
Neves, Denise Shaan, Vera Guapindaia, Colin McEwan and Julia Berra. The curatorial
partnership with ethnologist Luis Donisete Benzi Grupioni and our memorable journeys
inside museum reserves have been extremely rewarding in the learning of and
comparison with ethnographic materials and their contexts. I am alone responsible for
any shortcomings and contentious interpretations herein advanced.
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