General & Miscellaneous South American History, Subsistence Economy, Native South American & Caribbean Peoples - General & Miscellaneous, World History - General & Miscellaneous, Anthropology - General & Miscellaneous, Human Ecology
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Overview
This edited volume draws on the subdisciplines of anthropology to present an integrated perspective of Amazonian studies. The contributors address transformations of native societies as a result of their interaction with Western civilization from initial contact to the present day, demonstrating that the pre- and postcontact characteristics of these societies display differences that until now have been little recognized. In particular, Amazon floodplain societies are shown to be more complex in terms of cultural development than previously had been supposed. Most chapters deal with some aspect of the ethnology of a specific tribe or group of tribes, or of Amazonia as a whole; others focus on archaeology, ethnohistory, biological anthropology, and linguistics.Editorials
From the Publisher
"Not a handbook of Amazonian indigenous people but it is an important treatise that clearly shows existing cultures do not necessarily represent their pre-contact predecessors. All anthropologists and ethnobiologists with interest in the Amazon will enjoy this book."—Journal of Ethnobiology"This outstanding collection of essays well represents recent scholarship on the South American tropical lowlands."—The Historian"A useful corrective to researchers who assume that contemporary native Amazonians faithfully represent past social formations. . . . The final chapter . . . is simply the best I have ever read on the complexities of the politics of ethnic identity and autonomy in Amazonia." —American ScientistBook Details
Published
November 1, 1994
Publisher
Tucson : University of Arizona Press, c1994.
Pages
420
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780816514366