ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an example of how interactions with communities who live on or near archaeological sites can influence the directions taken by research and, consequently, the materials and methods employed. We have conducted archaeological investigations in territories traditionally occupied by the Munduruku people and by riverine Beiradeiro communities along the middle and upper reaches of the Tapajós River in southern Brazilian Amazonia. Through the prism of historical ecology, we were able to observe connections between the archaeological record and present-day practices. The work was undertaken within a context of conflict that pitted these forest peoples against a consortium of multinational corporations and the Brazilian federal government, which together sought to build a series of hydroelectric dams as part of their Growth Acceleration Programme. It is argued that the research endeavour can – and indeed ought to – attend to the demands of forest peoples and to the political issues at stake. By doing so, the scientific endeavour will be enriched and gain in relevance beyond academia.
