Abstract
In this paper we consider archaeology as a product of social interaction, and discuss how ancient Egyptian materiality has been an important part of identity building in Brazil. We begin by reviewing our theoretical setting, and suggest that a postmodern approach is most helpful to our goal of understanding the social context of the public uses of archaeology. The paper then turns to the trajectory of “Egyptomania” in Brazil, from the 19th century onwards, highlighting the importance of cultural movements such as Kardecism and Masonry in this trend. We argue that the use of Egyptian subjects in Brazil has connections with social inequality, racism, and gender biases. Finally, we present a case study on positive recent trends in the presentation of ancient Egypt in school textbooks which highlights critical approaches to the use of ancient Egyptian subjects in contemporary Brazil.
Résumé
Dans cette étude, nous étudions l’archéologie en tant que produit de l’interaction social, et examinons dans quelle mesure la réalité de l’Égypte antique a joué un rôle déterminant pour construire l’identité au Brésil. Nous commençons avec l’examen de notre cadre théorique pour affirmer qu’une approche postmoderne est la plus appropriée pour atteindre notre objectif, qui consiste à comprendre le contexte social des utilisations publiques de l’archéologie. L’étude se penche ensuite sur l’évolution de « l’égyptomanie » au Brésil, depuis le XIXe siècle jusqu’à nos jours, en soulignant l’importance des mouvements culturels dans ce courant, comme le Kardecisme et la Franc-maçonnerie. Nous montrons que l’utilisation des thèmes égyptiens au Brésil a des liens avec l’inégalité sociale, le racisme, et les préjugés sexistes. Pour terminer, nous présentons une étude de cas sur les tendances manifestes actuelles de la présentation de l’Égypte antique dans les livres scolaires, qui souligne des approches décisives pour l’utilisation des thématiques de l’Égypte antique dans le Brésil contemporain.
Resumen
En este trabajo consideramos la arqueología como un producto de interacción social y sostenemos que la materialidad de los antiguos egipcios ha sido una parte importante de la construcción de identidad en Brasil. Comenzamos revisando nuestro trasfondo teórico y sugerimos que el enfoque posmoderno es el más útil para nuestro objetivo de entender el contexto social de los usos públicos de la arqueología. A continuación, el trabajo aborda la trayectoria de la “Egiptomanía” en Brasil, a partir del siglo xix, destacando la importancia de movimientos culturales como el kardecismo y la masonería en esta tendencia. Lo que sostenemos es que el uso de temas egipcios en Brasil está relacionado con la desigualdad, el racismo y los prejuicios de sexo. Para concluir, presentamos un estudio de caso sobre las recientes tendencias positivas en la presentación del antiguo Egipto en los libros de texto de las escuelas, que destacan los enfoques críticos en el uso de los temas del antiguo en el Brasil contemporáneo.
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Acknowledgements
We owe thanks to Margaret Bakos, Maria da Conceição Beltrão, Martin Bernal, Marina Fontolan, Clive Gamble, Júlio Gralha, Richard Hingley, Laurent Olivier, and André Prous. We also acknowledge the support of the Centre for Strategic Studies (NEE/Unicamp), the São Paulo State Science Foundation (FAPESP), the Brazilian Science Foundation (CNPq) and the World Archaeological Congress. The ideas in the paper are our own, and we are solely responsible for them.
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Funari, P.P.A., Funari, R.d.S. Ancient Egypt in Brazil: A Theoretical Approach to Contemporary Uses of the Past. Arch 6, 48–61 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-010-9121-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-010-9121-0