Historical Archaeology in the Amazon: the Murutucu Sugar Cane Mill Field School Project

Based on research on the Murutucu Sugar Cane Mill Field School Project in Bel,m City, Para State, Brazil, this article presents a novel approach to historical archaeology in the Amazon. An anthropological view is described with a focus on ethnic, social, economic, political, gender, and generational groups. Although archaeology in the Amazon has a long tradition of more than 150 years of research, most studies on the region examine precontact sites. In contrast, the few pioneering studies on Amazonian historical sites have pursued chronological and technological objectives and have been primarily restricted to military and religious sites.