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Of Lost Civilizations and Primitive Tribes, Amazonia: Reply to Meggers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael J. Heckenberger ,
James B. Petersen  and
Eduardo Góes Neves
Michael J. Heckenberger
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Turlington Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
James B. Petersen
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Williams Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
Eduardo Góes Neves
Affiliation:
Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Prof. Almeida Prado, No. 1466, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
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Abstract

Meggers's critique of views presented by DeBoer et al. (1996), Wüst and Barreto (1999), and Heckenberger et al. (1999) in Latin American Antiquity misrepresents these authors and others. Her criticisms, largely directed at the present authors, obfuscate fundamental points raised regarding the nature and variability of cultural formations and economic patterns in Amazonia. By conflating indigenous resource management systems, which we discuss, with mechanized development strategies of the modern world, she creates an unnecessarily polemical atmosphere for debate.

Resumen

Resumen

La crítica de Meggers sobre los puntos de vista presentados por DeBoer et al. (1996), Wüst and Barreto (1999) y Heckenberger et al. (1999) en Latin American Antiquity, dirigida principalmente a éstos autores, confunde asuntos fundamentales hechos en lo que se trata de la naturaleza y variabilidad de las formaciones culturales y los modelos económicos de la Amazonía. Al entremezclar nuestro tratamiento de los sistemas indígenas del manejo de los recursos con las estrategias de desarrollo mecanizadas del mundo moderno ella da lugar a una atmósfera polémica, innecesaria, para el debate.

Type
Comments
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , September 2001 , pp. 328 - 333
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2001

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