Unknown Amazon

Addressing the antiquity and complexity of tropical forest civilization in the Amazon Basin, this text is based on the latest archaeological and ethnographic research. It opens up new perspectives on Amazonian Indian societies, both past and present. 13 contributions by leading Latin American, European and North American scholars bring to life the long and complex history of human occupation of this vast region. Together they offer a revision of long held views about indigenous Amazonian communities. Prevailing preconceptions have tended to ignore the achievements of Amazonian societies that developed prior to European contact with the Americas. What emerges in this book is a picture of sophisticated artistic traditions executed in pottery, stone, wood and featherwork. These works of art bear a range of complex imagery, creating a window into a world that has undergone profound transformations, yet still offers insights and lessons to be learned.