Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Juliana Salles Machado, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil, julianasallesmachado@gmail.com
Sonia Archila, Dept of Anthropology, University of Los Andes, Colombia, sarchila@uniandes.edu.co
Verónica Isabel Williams, University of Buenos Aires; Conicet Researcher; Director of Institute of Cultures (UBA-CONICET), Argentina, veronicaw33@gmail.com
As we know, scientific practice has been conceived and practiced for much of our history by white men. Even after the feminist conquest that culminated in the participation of female archaeologists in institutions, laboratories and field practices, we still have inequality in positions of power and in the theoretical-methodological references that guide both field and laboratory practice, as well as their interpretations, further aggravated by the intersectionalities of race, class and heteroidentification. This bias ends up maintaining a partial perspective of our understanding of the world and the societies with whom we interact and with which we jointly seek to build knowledge. In this session, we would like to gather examples from the Global South that can help us reflect on how the relationships established between women in scientific practice, whether in theoretical-methodological formulation or research issues, or in the particular relationship they establish with female spheres in local communities, or in the interpretation of data, have repercussions on the knowledge of how non-hegemonic societies, Indigenous peoples, quilombolas, and many others in the Global South, are represented in historical, archaeological and anthropological discourse.
Papers:
Ancestors in Stone Bodies. Reflections on the Management of Heritage and the Role of the Yanakuna Community of San Agustín (Huila, Colombia)
Rocío Salas, Antropóloga Arqueóloga, Docente Facultad de Estudios del Patrimonio Cultural Universidad Externado de Colombia
Jaime Enrique Clavijo Salas, Antropólogo MSc Antropología Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina
Sayari Campo Burbano, Bióloga, partera y comunera Yanakuna
Among the ancient human manifestations, a large number of stones are found in the Colombian Massif that were moulded and arranged for various purposes and that are considered from modern Western ontology as statues and archaeological objects without agency capacity and in a unique conservation patrimonial arrangement; In contrast, the Yanakuna Indigenous community of San Agustín (Huila), uses different perspectives, since they see in them symbols, bodies of ancestors and stone people (rumi runa) in which are found indispensable forces for community order and maintenance. of the life of everything that lives in the territory. Sayari Campo, a Yanakuna community member and midwife, has contributed in theoretical-methodological terms, through meetings and conversations with some members of both the Yanakuna community and with other people who have been part of social processes; The disagreement between the institutions in charge of ensuring heritage and the community’s own or ontological meanings is revealed. The presentation addresses these two perspectives that are evidenced by those who decide on the management of heritage and, consequently, the role to which communities are relegated.
Petroglyphs, Memory and Misak Sacred Territory: A View from Ancestral Knowledge
Sonia Archila, Dept of Anthropology, University of Los Andes, Colombia
María Antonia Calambas Pillimué, Independent researcher
This paper analyses some archaeological petroglyphs from the Misak vision, taking into account the elements that make up the sacred territory of the Pishau-Misak of Cauca, Colombia. The study of the symbolism of the petroglyphs leads to a re-encounter with the ancestral traces and itineraries and allows us to understand the territory as a space of collective physical-spiritual life, made up of female-male deities that maintain the natural and spiritual order. The mysterious meanings of these archaeological remains revive knowledge, spiritual practices, natural language and endogenous knowledge systems that wind and unwind in the spiral of life as contemplated by the Great Duty and Law of the Pishau-Misak. From a Misak perspective, the relationship observed by some traditional majors between petroglyphs, cosmology and the Pishau-Misak cosmovision is presented. At the same time, this has made it possible to spin and weave knowledge in the territory from a holistic and integral vision, including the thinking of Indigenous women in the research of social practices amongst Indigenous peoples. In this way, their own thinking and the recovery of sacred spaces generate inputs for the reorientation of future generations who are unaware of the origin and importance of territorial memory.
Oral History and Current Social Dynamics from the Perspective of Sexual Diversity in Northern Cauca, Colombia
Maria Eugenia Orejuela Mesa, University Autónoma of Barcelona and University of Cantabria; Assistant Professor, Universidad del Valle
This is a remark on the work carried out within the framework of the 50th anniversary of the CRIC (Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca), for the magazine Álvaro Ulcué, where the topic of sexual diversity in Indigenous peoples was addressed in the Nasa community. In an ethnographic study, where the functionality of archaeology within Indigenous communities was investigated, questions arose such as: besides the invisibility of women in certain aspects, where did people fit in what we today understand as sexual diversities? This proposal of a complex and real topic within Indigenous communities was approached through interviews. This topic should be understood from the perspective of dissemination rather than theorising it, without leaving academia and its research methodologies aside. The relationship between oral history and social realities, cosmology, epistemology, and ontology of the Nasa world, which are found in a single dual being, man-woman, is also explored. Sexual diversity currently leads us to archaeological work where non-androcentric proposals are put forward, considering diversity as a historical representation.
Gender Representation in the Statues of Alto Magdalena (Colombia): A Feminist Reading of the Archaeological Discourse
Diana Mendoza-León, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
Inspired by the tenets of feminist archaeology and the concept of the coloniality of gender, this presentation aims to reflect on the construction of gender stereotypes in the production of scientific knowledge in archaeology. To do so, I examine gender representation in the statues of Alto Magdalena by analysing seven iconographic studies authored by seven male archaeologists over nearly a century of research in the region.
I analyse the language used by archaeologists to describe the masculine and feminine attributes of the statues and to assign social roles based on gender. This analysis reveals three key tendencies: (1) the naturalisation of gender differences, (2) the establishment of gender hierarchies, and (3) the legitimisation of misogynistic and racialised views of these societies.
This study demonstrates that, beyond the technical and scientific discourse of Colombian archaeology, gender is not a neutral category. The way archaeologists interpret the archaeological record is mediated by contemporary sex/gender systems. This highlights the need to consider gender relations as a cultural, historical, and contextual variable that must be investigated to move away from the prevailing androcentric and colonial perspectives used to reconstruct the past.
Is There a Feminist Breakthrough in Argentine Archaeology?
Verónica Isabel Williams, University of Buenos Aires; Conicet Researcher; Director of Institute of Cultures (UBA-CONICET), Argentina
Feminist critiques have resulted in significant changes in archaeology, particularly in South America, which has often been a distant observer of these discussions. A new wave of thought is highlighting how patriarchy manifests within the discipline. The history of archaeology in Argentina has been shaped by political and ideological shifts that have affected women’s roles and working conditions. Over the past fifty years, few women have reached leadership positions or had the opportunity to mentor female students.
Understanding the conditions that influenced early female archaeologists and the transmission of knowledge is essential for constructing historiographies and recognising our identities as female academics. To foster dialogue, we organised the first two meetings titled “El pasado nos convoca”. We are currently on our fourth meeting, bringing together women archaeologists from different generations in Argentina. Additionally, we are expanding the conversation to include women and non-binary individuals from across South America to reflect on our practices in a historically male-dominated context.
Weaving Bonds, Ancestral Knowledge and Archaeology in Mendoza, Argentina
Cristina Prieto-Olavarría, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Argentina
Liliana Claudia Herrera, Comunidad Huarpe Guaytamary; Organización de Naciones Indígenas en Argentina; Organización indígena de Mendoza Martina Chapanay; Organización internacional de Mujeres Indígenas “REDMIRA”; Mesa Nacional indígena de “Camino Ancestral Qhapaq Ñan”
Cintia Candito Herrera, Comunidad Huarpe Guaytamari; Grupo de Artistas Visuales “APU”
We are three women from Mendoza, Argentina—two members of the Huarpe Guaytamari community and an archaeologist—who, since 2022, have been engaged in actions centred on intercultural dialogue, with ceramic production as our main focus. We have developed community projects and participated in organising activities aimed at reflecting on and raising awareness of Indigenous women’s experiences. These initiatives have allowed us to deliberate on the need to deepen collaborative work in order to foster a respectful exchange between ancestral knowledge and archaeology from a decolonial perspective. In doing so, we seek to rethink the scientific discourse on the past and its continuity in the present. From this perspective, we critically engage with the power structures of coloniality/modernity and reflect on alternative forms of relationships, particularly between Indigenous women and archaeologists. We recognise that this alliance is essential for the construction of intercultural knowledge, the strengthening of our bonds, and the integration of both traditional and scientific knowledge into broader social innovation networks, making them accessible to diverse stakeholders.
[Among]Women: Intersections and Challenges of Collaborative Experiences Among Women
Juliana Salles Machado, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil
In this paper, I would like to address three perspectives that intersect with my scientific practice as a female researcher: how my identification as a white woman/researcher/scientist influences the relationships built with communities during my research; a reflection on women’s knowledge and their networks, and how they have been rendered invisible by masculine or generalised perspectives commonly practiced in archaeological research; and finally, the challenges of inclusion and collaboration of Indigenous women as researchers within broader research networks. To address these perspectives, I will base my reflections on different research experiences: first, among the riverine women of Caviana Island in the Amazon Delta; second, through a dual reflection—one based on the collaborative construction of research with Makurap and Tupari women in Rondônia, and another stemming from an interethnic network of female political leaders from various Indigenous peoples, developed through the fagtar.orgcollaborative project; and finally, I will reflect on my work leading affirmative action initiatives for Indigenous peoples at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, within the Intercultural Indigenous Teaching Degree program and the research project “Histories on the Margins”, specifically among the Indigenous peoples of Guaporé and Rio Branco.
Conversaciones Realmente Incómodas: Estrategias de Subsistencia de las Mujeres Arqueólogas en el Chile Neoliberal
Truly Uncomfortable Conversations: Subsistence Strategies of Women Archaeologists in Neoliberal Chile
Catalina Soto Rodriguez, independent researcher
Tal como en otros contextos occidentales, las mujeres profesionales en Chile han quedado relegadas a lugares secundarios. Esto se subsanado el último tiempo con publicaciones sobre el rol histórico de las mujeres en la ciencia, una temática incorporada por investigadoras/es hegemónicos en la lógica multicultural. Pero poco se habla de la situación concreta en el trabajo en países como Chile, el experimento neoliberal latinoamericano.
Así, través del levantamiento de información cuantitativa y cualitativa se identifican factores que afectan a las mujeres arqueólogas en la actualidad, apartándolas de niveles de visibilidad y cargos de poder. Entre las estrategias intencionadas se observa invisibilización, difamación y segregación, utilizadas como formas de exclusión progresiva para el control del medio profesional. A ellas se suman otras de más amplitud como el uso de biopolítica para el descarte de profesionales por motivos como el cuidados de otras/os, por enfermedades profesionales y/o discriminación etaria (misoginia y gerontofobia). A pesar de ello, se observan algunas estrategias que han permitido a las mujeres sortear el hostil medio académico de la arqueología chilena como la apertura de temas novedosos, publicación en medios diferentes al local y la solidaridad de género en el ámbito profesional no académico.
In Chile, as in other Western contexts, professional women have often been relegated to secondary roles. While recent publications have made progress in highlighting women’s historical contributions in science, dominant researchers have mainly addressed these topics within a multicultural framework. However, little attention is given to the current labour situation for women in countries like Chile, particularly within the context of the Latin American neoliberal experiment.
This study, through the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, identifies several factors that affect women archaeologists today and contribute to their lack of visibility and positions of power. Some intentional strategies employed against them include invisibility, defamation, and segregation, which serve as forms of progressive exclusion aimed at controlling the professional environment. Additionally, broader issues such as biopolitics come into play, including the marginalisation of professionals through caregiving responsibilities, occupational illnesses, and age discrimination, the latter reflecting both misogyny and gerontophobia.
Despite these challenges, some strategies have emerged that enable women to navigate the hostile academic environment of Chilean archaeology. These include exploring new research topics, publishing in outlets beyond local media, and fostering gender solidarity within non-academic professional spheres.
Other Voices to Deconstruct Archaeological Performance in Uruguay
Noelia Bortolotto, CURE-UDELAR
Laura Brum, CURE-UDELAR
Laura del Puerto, CURE-UDELAR
Cecilia Arrarte, CURE-UDELAR
Archaeological practice in the country has been characterised by giving prominence to the masculine, from daily tasks to the interpretation of the materiality and relationships studied. From scientific practice and theoretical-methodological production to the research activities, the predominant role is male, materialised in leading project management responsibilities and leading roles in writing. On the other hand, the feminine, which is usually limited to what is known as domestic academic work, resists and gains an increasingly stronger position. This is observed in the support of ties and work in territories mostly carried out by women. From the disciplinary research praxis or extension forms we develop from the feminine sphere, this daily work finds us with women guardians of wisdom who share their knowledge with us. Far from being just another part of daily work, this transmission includes a great responsibility in how, insofar and what we communicate and include in the discourses we construct. We introduce a quantitative survey of these inequalities in university project funding instruments, considering the intersectionality dimension. To complete this analysis, we propose a qualitative and proactive reflection, considering our practical experiences, dreaming of other possible archaeologies.