Brazil's leap forward unearths a painful history
23.05.12
The most precious finds are a delicate earring with a Muslim half-moon pendant, rings made of woven reeds, copper. Artifacts sifted from the dirt already fill hundreds of plastic bags. No physical traces of Valongo remained, and the geography itself had been transformed by landfill that pushed the ocean back hundreds of feet. bracelets, pierced shells and coins used as pendants. Many of the artifacts are amulets
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Brazil's Leap Forward Unearths a Painful History
23.05.12
"There was a real desire to erase Valongo, to erase this history, to take it right off the map," said Tania Andrade Lima, chief archaeologist of the dig, as she pointed out Valongo's rough, uneven stones. The wharf that was intentionally buried in 1840 and replaced by a beautiful new port is coming back to light as part of a $5 billion project remaking Rio's port region for tourism and business ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games. Today, as Brazil surges forward on the world stage, scholars hope the trove of beads, bracelets and statuettes they are finding will also prompt Brazilians to look backward with greater interest at their slave heritage. "These were sidewalks made for slaves to tread," she said, contrasting them with the checkerboard of polished flagstones of the replacement wharf that replaced it.
Source: ABC News
