“Ordering the Chaos”: Emil Goeldi and the Amazonian archaeology

Abstract

The paper analyzes the archaeological studies of Emil Goeldi (1895-1917) at Museum of Pará, in the city of Belém, Brazil. It shows how Goeldi developed a systematic plan of surveys and archaeological excavations, organized collections and defined a regional problem to research. It emphasizes the way Goeldi’s archaeological and ethnological studies were articulated to a colonial policy.

Keywords

• Emil August Goeldi
• Emilio Goeldi Museum of Pará
• Amazonian archaeology
• Colonial policy