Overview

Examines the largely unexplored topics in Caribbean archaeology of looting of heritage sites, fraudulent artifacts, and illicit trade of archaeological materials   Real, Recent, or Replica: PrecolumbianCaribbean Heritage as Art, Commodity, and Inspiration is the first book-length study of its kind to highlight the increasing commodification of Caribbean Precolumbian heritage. Amerindian art, including 'TaÍno' art, has become highly coveted by collectors, spurring a prolific and increasingly sophisticated black market of forgeries, but also contemporary artistic engagement, openly appreciated as modern artworks taking inspiration from the past. The contributors to this volume contend with difficult subject matter including the continued looting of archaeological sites in the region, the seismic increase of forgeries, and the imbalance of power and economic relations between the producers and consumers of neo-Amerindian art.   The case studies document the considerable time depth of forgeries in the region (since the late nineteenth century), address the policies put in place by Caribbean governments and institutions to safeguard national patrimony, and explore the impact looted and forged artefacts have on how museums and institutions collect and ultimately represent the Caribbean past to their audiences. Overall, the volume emphasizes the continued desire for the 'authentic' Precolumbian artifact, no matter the cost. It provides insights for archaeologists, museum professionals, art historians, and collectors to combat illegal trade and support communities in creating sustainable heritage industries.

Full Product Details

Author:   Joanna Ostapkowicz ,  Jonathan A. Hanna ,  Peter E. Siegel ,  L. Antonio Curet
Publisher:   The University of Alabama Press
Imprint:   The University of Alabama Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.50cm , Height: 3.10cm , Length: 24.10cm
Weight:   0.665kg
ISBN:  

9780817320874

ISBN 10:   0817320873
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   20 April 2021
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Foreword Peter E. Siegel Preface Joanna Ostapkowicz and Jonathan A. Hanna Introduction: Precolumbian Caribbean Heritage in Flux, the Old and the Not So Old Joanna Ostapkowicz and Jonathan A. Hanna 1. Caribbean Indigenous Art Past, Present, Future: The View from the Greater Antilles Joanna Ostapkowicz 2. Archaeological Heritage Market and Museums in the Dominican Republic Arlene Alvarez, Corinne L. Hofman, and Mariana C. FranÇozo 3. The Vibrancy of 'TaÍno'-Themed Arts and Crafts: Identity and Symbolism in Modern and Postmodern BorikÉn JosÉ R. Oliver 4. Jamaican Cultural Material: Pilfered and Forged Lesley-Gail Atkinson Swaby 5. Spice Isle Sculptures: Antiquities and Iconography in Grenada, West Indies Jonathan A. Hanna 6. Genuine Reproductions: Ethics, Practicalities, and Problems in Creating a Replica of a Zemi from Carriacou, Grenada, West Indies John G. Swogger 7. Fakes, Copies, and Replicas in Cuban Archaeology Roberto ValcÁrcel Rojas, Vernon James Knight, Elena Guarch RodrÍguez, and Menno L. P. Hoogland 8. 'Seem[ing] Authentic[ity]': Irving Rouse on Forgeries, a Museological Perspective Joanna Ostapkowicz and Roger Colten 9. Authenticity, Preservation, and Care in Central American Indigenous Material Culture Alexander Geurds 10. Reducing the Market for Illicit Cultural Objects: The Caribbean and Beyond Donna Yates Epilogue: Real, Recent, Replica (Confessions of an Archaeologist/Curator/Puerto Rican) L. Antonio Curet Appendix: An Overview of the Laws Governing Archaeological Heritage in the English- and Spanish-Speaking Caribbean Amanda Byer References Cited Contributors Index

Reviews

An unprecedented exploration of the furtive practices of collecting, faking, and looting as they entangle the scholarly study of Caribbean archaeology and ethnohistory. Local in focus but global in impact, the book has much to teach us about the consequences and unintended consequences of public policy's embrace of cultural heritage. --Neil Brodie, coeditor of Illicit Antiquities: The Theft of Culture and the Extinction of Archaeolog Real, Recent, or Replica raises important questions and contributes to anthropological perspectives on the entangled and complicated history of collecting, looting, fakes, replicas, authenticity, and cultural heritage. It is encouraging to see that archaeologists in the Caribbean are thinking about these issues. --Mary Jane Berman, Miami University

"An unprecedented exploration of the furtive practices of collecting, faking, and looting as they entangle the scholarly study of Caribbean archaeology and ethnohistory. Local in focus but global in impact, the book has much to teach us about the consequences and unintended consequences of public policy's embrace of cultural heritage."" - Neil Brodie, coeditor of Illicit Antiquities: The Theft of Culture and the Extinction of Archaeolog ""Real, Recent, or Replica raises important questions and contributes to anthropological perspectives on the entangled and complicated history of collecting, looting, fakes, replicas, authenticity, and cultural heritage. It is encouraging to see that archaeologists in the Caribbean are thinking about these issues."" - Mary Jane Berman, Miami University"

An unprecedented exploration of the furtive practices of collecting, faking, and looting as they entangle the scholarly study of Caribbean archaeology and ethnohistory. Local in focus but global in impact, the book has much to teach us about the consequences and unintended consequences of public policy's embrace of cultural heritage. - Neil Brodie, coeditor of Illicit Antiquities: The Theft of Culture and the Extinction of Archaeolog Real, Recent, or Replica raises important questions and contributes to anthropological perspectives on the entangled and complicated history of collecting, looting, fakes, replicas, authenticity, and cultural heritage. It is encouraging to see that archaeologists in the Caribbean are thinking about these issues. - Mary Jane Berman, Miami University

Author Information

Joanna Ostapkowicz is research associate in Caribbean archaeology at the University of Oxford. She is coeditor of Iconography and Wetsite Archaeology of Florida's Watery Realms.   Jonathan A. Hanna is curator at the Grenada National Museum in St. George's. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Pennsylvania State University and his research focuses mainly on geoarchaeology and ancient human behavioral ecology in Grenada.

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