Abstract

VILLANUEVA CRIALES, Juan. The Two Posnanskys: Liberalism, Indigenism, and Nationalism in Bolivian Archaeological Thought (1904-1946). Antipod. Rev. Antropol. Arqueol. [online]. 2023, n.51, pp.213-238.  Epub May 15, 2023. ISSN 1900-5407.  https://doi.org/10.7440/antipoda51.2023.09.

Reflections on the coloniality that permeates Latin American archaeologies enhance their role in the legitimization of national projects in tension with indigenous populations. These approaches prompt the adoption of an anthropological approach centered on the political uses of the past when studying the history of Latin American archaeologies. This, instead of a purely historiographical use. The history of Bolivian archaeology suggests that the National Revolution of 1952 was a point of rupture between the liberal and nationalist narratives. The purpose of this article is to discuss this postulate by considering the political uses of the past. To do so, we analyze the archaeological work of Arthur Posnansky, which covers four decades (1904-1946) of transformations in the ideologies and policies of the Bolivian State towards indigenous populations: the rise and decline of the liberal state, the indigenist-telurist proposal, and a nationalism that gave rise to the Revolution of 1952. We embark on a detailed diachronic journey through Posnansky’s archaeological work, concentrating on his narratives on the origin of pre-Hispanic populations, their characterization and valuation, the mechanisms of rupture between the present and the past, and their relations with contemporary indigenous populations. This journey is further complemented by considering political contexts and intellectual influences. We posit that Posnansky developed two narratives: one adapted to the liberal moment and the other to indigenism, and that his second narrative is analogous to the one produced after 1952. This new perspective raises questions about the relationship between archaeological narratives and politics, the role of scientific racism in contemporary Bolivia, and the importance of a comparative and cross-border emphasis in constructing a critical history of Latin American archaeologies.

Keywords : Bolivian archaeology; indigenism; history of archaeology; liberalism; nationalism; Tiwanaku.

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