THE HISTORY OF CUBAN ARCHEOLOGY FROM AN EXTERNALIST PERSPECTIVE OF SCIENCE (1847-1940)

Cuban archeology has more than a century and a half of continuous practice. An approach to its history reveals the work of various associations, scientists and collectors, as well as the influence of different anthropological schools in the process of its formation as a science and the production of knowledge about societies that no longer exist. In this paper, a periodization of Cuban archaeological science between 1847, beginning of its practice, and 1940, academic and political limit, from an externalist analysis from the perspective of science is proposed. We show that between 1847 and 1898 occurred the gestation cycle, influenced by the ideas of European anthropology, and his scientific work occurs between 1899 and 1940, when a Cuban archaeological thought emerges, generating processes of institutionalization and professionalization and influencing the development of heritage protection policies in line with the world stage.