Archaeology for Latin America in the 21st century

Objective/context: The purpose of this article is to provide the historical and theoretical framework of Latin American archaeology to contextualize the essays included in this volume. It is argued that recent changes in this discipline arise as part of a self-evaluation of archaeologists in relation to the colonialist origin of this science. Methodology: The article begins with a brief discussion of the most recent significant changes that have established new standards in the discipline, created by the archaeologist’s obligation to confront two realities. The first is the above-mentioned colonialist origin of archaeology, especially when considering the total absence of the indigenous story in our reconstructions of their ancestors. The second is the advance of capitalism and economic development, accompanied by political interests that include, among other things, the use of archaeological sites and artifacts for tourism or the recording of their destruction as a prelude to industrial infrastructure or extractive projects. It presents a brief account of the discipline in the region, from the eighteenth century to the nationalist movements and the present, which also poses the challenge of building alternative narratives to those proposed by the hegemonic axis of the traditional sciences and, above all, to recognize and include the silenced voices of the past. Conclusions: The text ends by presenting the articles in this issue and briefly contextualizing them within this new perspective on Latin American archaeology, concluding that, in recent decades, Latin American archaeology has taken new directions as a result of our reflection on its colonial past. Originality: In particular, this postcolonial archaeology, as some call it, challenges us to develop alternative perspectives, methods and interpretations that are more inclusive and encompassing as well as realistic. The contextualization of the colonial problem within the social, historical, economic and political conditions of the region is key to an understanding of this emerging archaeology and to motivating national and international dialogue between archaeologists and heritage stakeholders to promote a more fair and inclusive archaeology.