Valongo, the Place of the Ancestors: Spiritual Practices among Enslaved Africans in Nineteenth-century Rio de Janeiro

Archaeological research at Valongo Wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Rio de Janeiro, has uncovered vestiges of spiritual practices among enslaved Africans who passed through the port during the 19th-century transatlantic slave trade. These findings, analyzed through a decolonial lens, challenge dominant narratives by centering the voices and experiences of subaltern populations, offering new insights into the resilience and cultural continuity of enslaved Africans despite the brutalities of colonialism. The study employs critical Latin American thought to reinterpret material remains, revealing the wharf's significance not only as a site of suffering but also as a place of memory where ancestral spiritual practices endured.

Lima, T. A. (2024). Valongo, the Place of the Ancestors: Spiritual Practices among Enslaved Africans in Nineteenth-century Rio de Janeiro. Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage, 13(1), 1–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/21619441.2024.2393525