The bonds that unite us: an archaeological history of the African/Yoruba cosmopolitanism and its implications for the collaboration in the South Atlantic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24885/sab.v37i2.1196Keywords:
Archaeology of Africa, interdisciplinary methods, Atlantic history, cosmopolitanism, African diasporaAbstract
This transcript adapts the keynote lecture given by Akinwumi Ogundiran at the event of the Brazilian Society of Archaeology (SAB), delving into the richness of African/Yoruba cosmopolitanism by using archaeology, while highlighting the deep historical and cultural connections between Africa and Brazil within the South Atlantic context. Using archaeological, linguistic, and ethnographic evidence, Ogundiran showcases how African societies, particularly the Yoruba, established complex systems of governance, religious practices, and technological innovations that influenced and were influenced by transatlantic dynamics. The lecture emphasizes the need for long-durée interdisciplinary studies both on the African continent and on the analyses of the formation of Afro-Brazilian diasporic identities stemming from these cultural exchanges, pointing out the significant contribution of African cosmopolitanism to creating cultural identities on both sides of the Atlantic. The lecture underscores the importance of acknowledging African contributions to global history and calls for strengthening collaboration between Brazilian and African archaeologists to further explore the archaeology of Africa and its transatlantic connections.
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