Archaeological Heritage Conservation through Architectural Interventions in the Bairro do Recife in the 21st Century

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the conservation of archaeological heritage sites in the area known as the Bairro do Recife, deriving from analysis of architectural interventions meant to conserve archaeological structures revealed in the first two decades of the 21st century. The analysis considered the conceptual approaches, criteria, and principles, seeking to reveal ideologies and practices of interventions and the interaction with archaeological research in dealing with these places. The study is based on the idea of archaeologist Hugo Benavides (2013) on the role of archaeology as sociopolitical agent and on the criticism of the impact of capitalism on conservation practices. The results suggest the perpetuation of a system of power, evidenced mainly by the favoring of projects destined to privileged economic classes.