Pre-Conquest Archaeology In Latin America

During the late 19th century, much of the pre-conquest past incorporated elite concepts such as artifacts of national heritage across Spanish America. Many elites stressed the importance of not disconnecting the pre-conquest past with contemporary indigenous people, but trying to connect one and another (Earle). In believing this concept, it is important to have some sort of connection to the past with artifacts that are visible rather than melted for gold or silver as they did back then. I understand that during the nineteenth century most people cared more about providing for their family rather than retaining a piece of history but we can see how important it is for cultures to have something to revert to when explaining their heritage. Thus the study of pre-conquest archaeology played a tremendous …show more content…
I would say that Latin America needed such fictional novels or poems to help exploit their past and culture in order to get the attention of readers or the people in general. Novels and poems gave powerful allegories help educate the majority of people in the Western world abut modern customs, feelings and ideas to create a nation (Notes). Many of Latin Americas important novelists were either politicians or leading public figures. I believe that the power of literature or words can direct a person in one direction or in the other. So many influential writers moved on to becoming either an important legislator or cultural arbiters for their country. Doris Sommer wrote about some of the most influential writers in her literature titled, When History Was Romance in Latin America. Many of these writers had an ultimate goal to increase the emerging nation and direct history towards an ideal future (Sommer). Poem’s and novels have a way of getting messages across to a reader without directly stating what the writer wants you to follow or