Re-imagining lowland South America: An introduction

This book offers students and seasoned scholars an overview of the diverse peoples of Lowland South America. While most of the chapters concern the Amazon—or “Amazonia” as it is often called—it also includes studies from other lowland areas of the continent, such as southern Chile, Brazil's Northeast coast, and the plains of the Chaco. The size and cultural diversity of this part of the world, the different historical experiences of people who live there, and the numerous theoretical approaches of those who study it, make any characterization of Lowland South America as a single, unitary “world” somewhat misleading. A comprehensive picture of the region and its peoples would require a much larger volume than the 40 chapters presented here. Rather than suggesting that all inhabitants of this part of the world share certain essential characteristics, this volume highlights past, present, and emerging themes in research on Lowland South America through in-depth studies of some of the specific communities whose social worlds have shaped key concepts and debates in regional studies, and who will no doubt continue to shape them in the future.