793 y 1493: Arqueologías del colonialismo en Puerto Rico y en Escocia

In this lecture, I will compare two colonial situations which look dissimilar at first sight: the European invasion of Puerto Rico beginning in 1493, and the Viking raids in Britain and Ireland from 793. The Picts of Scotland are not like the Taíno of Puerto Rico, and the conquistadors were not Vikings. But the colonial discourses arising from both historical situations have much in common. The Picts, like the Taíno, never simply disappeared, but have been silenced from historical sources, making their voices difficult to hear after this period of contact. Archaeological investigations can help, but there are many interpretive barriers here, too. Comparing these two situations opens new questions and reveals how the language of colonialism continually impacts on our vision of the past.