Concha – Colombia

Voici la traduction de votre rapport de mission en Colombie, en veillant à conserver la terminologie académique et le caractère international du projet :

The Colombian Mission of the CONCHA Project

The Colombian segment of the Concha mission took place during the summer of 2019. In addition to the travel and the collaborative exchanges between various partners (Colombians, Cape Verdeans, Portuguese, Spaniards, Americans, etc.), which form the fundamental axis of the project, the two members of Éveha International seconded for this session (Christelle Chouzeoux and Bruno Zélie) participated in several lecture cycles.

During the international symposium titled “Pueblos, Puertos Marítimos y Fronteras: Viviendo el océano,” Bruno Zélie presented on: “European exchanges and the French Atlantic trade from the 16th to the 18th century through archaeological discoveries and the study of sugar refining ceramics in the ports, cities, and colonies of the kingdom.” This first cycle took place at the University of Barranquilla (Universidad del Norte) and continued with the Concha team’s participation in a round table on the future of heritage sites in the context of global warming and rising sea levels. Further presentations were held in Cartagena, notably at the symposium “Reconstrucción del Patrimonio Histórico Colonial de Indias” at the University’s colonial history research laboratory, and later at the Centro de Convenciones de Cartagena de Indias with: “Exploraciones arqueológicas proyecto San Francisco.”

Beyond the conferences, our Colombian colleagues organized various cultural visits related to history, intangible heritage, and archaeology (including museums, interpretation centers, archaeological repositories, and active excavation sites). At the archaeological repository, Monika Therrion, the project manager, presented the artifacts discovered during recent interventions in Cartagena de Indias. This meeting also facilitated the establishment of a robust international collaboration network. Visits to the city’s historical museum (Palacio de la Inquisición) and the archaeological storage facilities completed this overview.

During a round table, Hortencia Sanchez, curator of the Puerto Colombia Foundation, presented aspects of Colombia’s recent history, particularly concerning the maritime port of arrival for migrants, its small custom house, and the Spanish fort Castillo San Antonio de Salgar, which served as the main custom house. This meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the ongoing museum project centered on the first railway line and the arrival of the Aéropostale.

Collective reflection was also directed toward the Magdalena River and its use as a transport route over the centuries, ranging from traditional vessels (architectural studies of which are ongoing) to paddle-wheel steamboats. The mission continued with offshore and coastal surveys on the island of Bocachica, where the team documented the forts and remains of the protective batteries of Cartagena Bay (Forts San Felipe y San Luis, Santiago, and San Fernando) and a pottery workshop specific to Cartagena. Notably, this survey identified a lime production site (horno de cal) utilizing coral. The ancient history of Colombia and its diverse populations remained an omnipresent theme throughout the laboratory work, visits, and lectures. This approach was further reinforced by guided tours of the museographic and educational spaces at the University of Barranquilla (Mapuka Museum) and the Museo Parque Cultural del Caribe.

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Project Reference

CONCHA Project: The construction of early modern global Cities and oceanic networks in the Atlantic: An approach via Ocean’s Cultural Heritage (H2020- MSCA-RISE-2017 CONCHA PROJECT nº 777998) Mission to Colombia: Christelle Chouzenoux and Bruno Zélie

Campaigns

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  Concha – Cape Verde
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  Concha – Seville
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  Concha-Irland
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  Concha – Colombia