Coleccionando naturaleza, creando cultura: construcción de la dicotomía naturaleza/cultura en museos

In this paper, we discuss the importance of studying museum collections in new light of anthropological theories, using the allegory of excavating the museum as an archaeological site, retrieving new information about objects and about new contexts and assemblages. We believe that this practice of "excavating" will bring us closer obviously to the artifacts, but also to an archaeology of the contemporary past that can open up new means of interacting with material culture and our society. Central to this debate are the collections and archives that can be used to disseminate the history of different disciplines, such as anthropology and archaeology. Methodology: Through various university museums in Argentina, we discuss the history and formation of collections in the history of archaeology, focusing on the von Hauenschild collection at the Museo de Antropología (Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba). The collection, which we have studied and analyzed on several occasions, originates in Santiago del Estero. Conclusions: We argue that, while being careful not to reproduce a colonial paradigm in this context, new ways of interpreting collections, using ethnographic and indigenous knowledge and working with communities of origin, allow us to create new relationships with objects and highlight other life histories that can be incorporated into the museum environment. We believe that collections "speak" about the people who excavated, catalogued, classified, studied, and interpreted them at some point in time. Originality: To conclude, we propose a research agenda to study collections in museums, by "excavating" archival material and re-examining archaeological artifacts.Neste trabalho discutimos a importância de estudar coleções de museus à luz de teorias antropológicas, empregando a alegoria de escavar o museu como um lugar arqueológico, recuperando nova informação sobre objetos e também a respeito de novos contextos e montagens. Consideramos que esta prática de “escavar” nos acercará não só aos artefatos, mas também a uma arqueologia do passado contemporâneo que pode abrir novas formas de interagir com a cultura material e com nossa sociedade. Neste debate, são centrais as coleções e os arquivos que podem ser utilizados para difundir a história de diferentes disciplinas, como a antropologia e a arqueologia. Metodologia: Através de diversos museus universitários da Argentina discutimos a história e a formação das coleções na história da arqueologia, fazendo especial referência à coleção de von Hauenschild do Museo de Antropología (Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba). Esta coleção provem de Santiago del Estero, e tem sido estudada e analisada por nós em várias ocasiões. Conclusões: Argumentamos que as novas formas de interpretar as coleções, utilizando conhecimento etnográfico e indígena e trabalhando com as comunidades de origem, são capazes de criar novas relações com os objetos e pôr em destaque outras histórias de vida que podem ser incorporadas ao contexto de um museu, sempre cuidando de não reproduzir um paradigma colonial. Consideramos que as coleções “falam” sobre as pessoas que as escavaram, catalogaram, classificaram, estudaram e interpretaram uma vez no tempo. Originalidade: Para fechar, propomos uma agenda de pesquisa de coleções nos museus, mediante a “escavação” de material de arquivo e reexaminando artefatos arqueológicos.En este trabajo discutimos la importancia de estudiar colecciones de museos a la luz de teorías antropológicas, empleando la alegoría de excavar el museo como un sitio arqueológico, recuperando nueva información sobre objetos y también acerca de nuevos contextos y ensamblajes. Consideramos que esta práctica de “excavar” nos acercará no solo a los artefactos, sino también a una arqueología del pasado contemporáneo que puede abrir nuevas formas de interactuar con la cultura material y nuestra sociedad. En este debate, son centrales las colecciones y los archivos que pueden utilizarse para difundir la historia de diferentes disciplinas, como la antropología y la arqueología. Metodología: A través de diversos museos universitarios de Argentina discutimos la historia y formación de las colecciones en la historia de la arqueología, haciendo especial referencia a la colección de von Hauenschild del Museo de Antropología (Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba). Esta colección proviene de Santiago del Estero, y ha sido estudiada y analizada por nosotros en varias ocasiones. Conclusiones: Argumentamos que las nuevas formas de interpretar las colecciones, utilizando conocimiento etnográfico e indígena y trabajando con las comunidades de origen, son capaces de crear nuevas relaciones con los objetos y poner en relieve otras historias de vida que se pueden incorporar al entorno de un museo, siempre cuidando de no reproducir un paradigma colonial en este contexto. Consideramos que las colecciones “hablan” sobre las personas que las excavaron, catalogaron, clasificaron, estudiaron e interpretaron una vez en el tiempo. Originalidad: Para cerrar proponemos una agenda de investigación de colecciones en los museos, mediante la “excavación” de material de archivo y reexaminando artefactos arqueológicos

En la sombra de la arqueología argentina: Jorge von Hauenschild y la formación de la colección von Hauenschild del Museo de Antropología (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)

This is a study of the von Hauenschild collection located at the Museo de Antropología, Facultad deFilosofía y Humanidades of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. The study is an exploration ofthe history of the collection through time and space and how it was formed and collected in the province ofSantiago del Estero by the German born engineer, Jorge von Hauenschild between 1928 through 1951. Thecollection consists of over 4000 objects, the largest amount of elements in the collection is ceramics, butit also includes various lithic artifacts and human remains.This paper is the result of the study of the von Hauenschild collection as a part of the Museo deAntropología, (UNC) plan of collection management which intends to revalorize it. From the perspective ofcollection management the objects in the collection is studied and through analysis of von Hauenschild’spersonal archive; we step closer to understand the trajectory of a man that started out as an advocate, inour present perspective, to later transform into a self-thought archaeologist. The study also tries todemonstrate that von Hauenschild used modern methods, for the time, to investigate and reveal the nativeheritage of the province where he lived for over 30 year

En la sombra de la arqueología argentina: Jorge von Hauenschild y la formación de la colección von Hauenschild del Museo de Antropología (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)

ResumenSe presenta un estudio acerca de la colección von Hauenschild, radicada actualmente en el Museo de Antropología, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. El trabajo explora la historia de la colección en el tiempo y en el espacio, así cómo su formación por parte del ingeniero alemán Jorge von Hauenschild, en la provincia de Santiago del Estero, entre 1928 y 1951. La colección contiene más de 4.000 objetos, piezas cerámicas en su mayoría, incluyendo también artefactos líticos y restos humanos.Este trabajo es el resultado de un estudio de la colección von Hauenschild y del plan de manejo de colecciones que el Museo de Antropología de la UNC lleva a cabo para revalorizar sus colecciones en el depósito. Retomando los planteos de las perspectivas del manejo de colecciones en museos y a través del análisis del archivo personal de von Hauenschild, nos acercamos a comprender la trayectoria de un hombreque, desde la perspectiva actual, se inició como «huaquero» para luego convertirse en un arqueólogo autodidacta. El trabajo también explora el uso de métodos, innovadores para su época, que von Hauenschild aplicó en sus investigaciones arqueológicas de la provincia en la que residió por más de 30 años.AbstractThis is a study of the von Hauenschild collection located at the Museo de Antropología, Facultad deFilosofía y Humanidades of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. The study is an exploration ofthe history of the collection through time and space and how it was formed and collected in the province ofSantiago del Estero by the German born engineer, Jorge von Hauenschild between 1928 through 1951. Thecollection consists of over 4000 objects, the largest amount of elements in the collection is ceramics, butit also includes various lithic artifacts and human remains.This paper is the result of the study of the von Hauenschild collection as a part of the Museo deAntropología, (UNC) plan of collection management which intends to revalorize it. From the perspective ofcollection management the objects in the collection is studied and through analysis of von Hauenschild’spersonal archive; we step closer to understand the trajectory of a man that started out as an advocate, inour present perspective, to later transform into a self-thought archaeologist. The study also tries todemonstrate that von Hauenschild used modern methods, for the time, to investigate and reveal the nativeheritage of the province where he lived for over 30 years.</p

Contemporary archaeology in conflict zones: The materiality of violence and the transformation of the urban space in Temuco, Chile during the social outburst

We have, during the Latin American spring, studied the material traces of state oppression and social movements in Temuco, Chile, and the transformation of the urban landscape with archaeological surveys. Our results demonstrate alterations in the urban landscape related to both police presence and protesters. Large amounts of teargas-projectiles and rubber bullets indicate strong police presence and repression of different social movements. We have also identified protection and resistance modes in the form of shields, paint bombs, and protective masks, often associated with graffiti's, barricades, and other alterations of the public space. Material vestiges combined with interviews have shown how state institutions have tried to cover up the traces of violence. We argue that archaeology can play a central role in this process and in recording the materiality of these events with the aim to hand over the information to human right associations to prevent state oppression

Fire ecology, past landscapes and human interaction: contributions from pedoanthracology, Balcosna Valley, Catamarca, North-western Argentina

Fire is an integral part of almost all ecosystems on Earth and an important factor in shaping our surroundings. Based on pedoanthracological research, we have reconstructed part of the past landscape and the paleoenvironmental context in an area that was populated by the Aguada Culture around 1000 CE. Pedoanthracology gives us the opportunity to recreate past fire events, including both natural fires such as wildland fires and fire produced by human activity. To understand past fire regimes and to be able to analyze the past archaeological landscape and the paleoenvironmental scenario, we focused our study on the past fire events in the Balcosna Valley, Catamarca Province, North-western Argentina, using microcharcoals extracted from sediments sampled from eight different locations in the area with a sediment corer. In total, 91 samples from the eight stations were analyzed, indicating that the Balcosna Valley was frequently affected by regular fire events in the past. These events, in turn, must have affected the people living in the area in various ways, thus creating a particular interaction between humans and fire

Collaborative archaeology: conservation and análisis of an funerary urn: Traslasierra, Córdoba, Argentina

El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar las tareas de intervención y conservación de una vasija utilizada como urna funeraria, hallada en una propiedad privada de la localidad de La Población, Departamento San Javier, Provincia de Córdoba, Argentina y con ello visibilizar la importancia de la articulación de nuestros trabajos científicos con los museos y las comunidades locales. La intervención fue solicitada por el Área de Arqueología de la Agencia Córdoba Cultura SE y el Museo Histórico Popular “Carlos Ferreyra” de San Javier- Yacanto. El hallazgo consiste en una urna cerámica de morfología globular sin decoración que en su interior contenía los restos de un individuo infantil, hallazgo poco frecuente en el área serrana de la provincia de Córdoba. Las tareas consistieron en la limpieza mecánica de la urna y la exhumación de los restos humanos, posteriormente se procedió a la conservación preventiva del conjunto, la estabilización y la construcción de un soporte adecuado para contención y evitar mayores daños. Se realizó el análisis de los restos para estimar el perfil biológico, sexo, edad, patologías entre otros. Se tomaron muestras de sedimentos para análisis de macro y microrrestos vegetales y se iniciaron los procesos con la comunidad local y el museo para la inclusión de la información obtenida en una futura exhibición. La aparición de esta urna funeraria nos motiva a iniciar un trabajo en conjunto con el museo local y los vecinos en relación con la preservación de estos hallazgos tan sensibles para las comunidades y en actividades relacionadas con la conservación del patrimonio, museología, y la arqueología pública.The aim of this research is to present an interdisciplinary study of a ceramic vessel, used as a funerary urn, together with the bioarchaeological analysis of an infant found inside, as well as the archaeobotanical study of the associated sediments, and the intervention and conservation of the urn, which was found in a private property in the village of La Población, Department of San Javier, Córdoba province, Argentina, and thus highlight the importance of articulating scientific work with museums and local communities. The archaeological intervention was requested by the Área de Arqueología of the Agencia Córdoba Cultura SE and the local museum, Museo Histórico Popular “Carlos Ferreyra’’ (San Javier-Yacanto). The find consists of an undecorated ceramic urn of globular morphology containing the remains of an infant child, which is infrequent find in the mountainous area of the province of Córdoba. The tasks consisted of the mechanical cleaning of the urn and the exhumation of the human remains, followed by the preventive conservation of both artifact and human remains, stabilization and construction of a suitable support for storage in order to avoid further damage. During these tasks, the analysis of the human remains was carried out to estimate the biological profile, sex, age, pathologies, among others. Samples of the associated sediments were taken in order to analyse macro- and micro-plant remains. The finding of this funerary urn prompted us to work together with the local museum and community on the preservation of such sensitive finds and to engage in activities related to heritage conservation, museum and public archaeology.Asociación de Antropología Biológica Argentin