Archaeology of the Amazonian Rubber Boom (1850-1920)

Description

This book uses changes in the material world to investigate the impact of the Amazonian rubber boom on global history and local communities. It contextualizes Sir Henry Wickham’s extraction of 70,000 rubber seeds from Santarém in 1876, and the subsequent global spread of rubber production which led to the collapse of Brazil’s rubber economy. These events played a crucial role in the rise of modern industrial society. The author also explores the archaeological and material culture evidence from Boim village (Pará State, Brazil), highlighting the neglected legacies of the rubber boom. Today, the descendants of Amazonian rubber tappers continue traditional practices to sustain their livelihoods. This study provides a critical reflection on the entanglement of past and present, revealing how the rubber boom remains a “black box” of modernity that continues to shape the lives and futures of Amazonian communities.