Researching Venezuelan archaeology books

Roger Swidorowicz

Researching Venezuelan archaeology books reveals an interesting landscape, albeit with challenges regarding information availability and dissemination. Below, I present some relevant titles and authors, as well as some considerations:

Classic and Fundamental Works:

• “Arqueología Cronológica de Venezuela” by José María Cruxent and Irving Rouse: This is undoubtedly a referential and fundamental work in Venezuelan archaeology. Although it may be difficult to find in new physical format, it remains a cornerstone for understanding the cultural sequences and ceramic typologies of the country. Its availability in used format on Mercado Libre Venezuela is mentioned.

• Works by Mario Sanoja Obediente and Iraida Vargas Arenas: These two researchers have made extremely important contributions to Venezuelan archaeology, with numerous publications throughout their careers. Their works cover diverse areas and periods and are fundamental for understanding the prehistory and early history of Venezuela. It is advisable to search for their specific publications according to the area of interest.

More Recent and Relevant Works and Authors:

• “Arqueología histórica venezolana. Perspectivas actuales sobre el contacto, el colonialismo y la independencia” (Venezuelan Historical Archaeology: Current Perspectives on Contact, Colonialism, and Independence) edited by Konrad A. Antczak: This bilingual work (Spanish and English) published by Sidestone Press in 2024, is emerging as a very important and up-to-date work. It brings together diverse perspectives on historical archaeology in Venezuela. Konrad A. Antczak is also the author of “Islands of Salt: Historical Archaeology of Seafarers and Things in the Venezuelan Caribbean, 1624–1880,” an award-winning book that addresses historical archaeology in the Venezuelan Caribbean.

• “Contribuciones en Venezuela Arqueológica” (Contributions in Venezuelan Archaeology) edited by Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra, Jorge D. Carrillo-Briceño, Alexis Jaimes, and Lilliam Arvelo (2024): This is another recent title that suggests a compilation of current research in the field.

• Lino Meneses Pacheco and Gladys Gordones Rojas: Authors of “(PDF) De la arqueología en Venezuela y de las colecciones arqueológicas” (On Archaeology in Venezuela and Archaeological Collections), published by the Centro Nacional de Historia (National History Center). This book seems to address the history of archaeology in the country and the management of collections.

• Eduardo Herrera Malatesta: A researcher with recent publications on historical archaeology in the Caribbean, including Venezuela.

• Merny Barrios Caldera: Author of the article “Producción cerámica antropomorfa y zoomorfa pre-valencioide en el sitio arqueológico La Mata, Edo. Aragua, Venezuela” (Anthropomorphic and Zoomorphic Pre-Valencioid Ceramic Production at the La Mata Archaeological Site, Aragua State, Venezuela) published in the Revista de Arqueología Americana (Journal of American Archaeology) (2024), which indicates active research on specific pre-Hispanic cultures.

Additional Mentions:

• “Notes On The Archeology Of Margarita Island, Venezuela”: Although the author is not specified in the main search results, it is indicated as a seminal work available at Walmart.

• “An Archeological Survey of Venezuela; Excavations at Ronquin, Venezuela; Excavations at Tocoron, Venezuela”: Publications from Yale University in Anthropology, available on Thriftbooks.com.

• “Arqueología sonámbula” (Sleepwalking Archaeology) by Juan Cristóbal Castro: A more experimental book that uses autofiction to work on ruin and deterioration in Venezuela, touching on the theme of archaeology from a literary perspective.

Considerations on Availability:

• Online platforms: Sites like Amazon, AbeBooks, Thriftbooks, and Mercado Libre Venezuela may have both new and used books available.

• Academic publications and journals: Much recent research is published in specialized journals such as the “Revista de Arqueología Americana” or through academic publishers like Sidestone Press. Some may be available in digital repositories or through university libraries.

• Venezuelan institutions: The Centro Nacional de Estudios Históricos, The Instituto de Patrimonio Cultural (IPC), The Archivo Nacional de Arte Rupestre (ANAR), and Venezuelan universities with anthropology and archaeology departments (such as the Universidad Central de Venezuela – UCV, and the Universidad de Los Andes – ULA) are potential sources of publications, although access can be challenging.

Roger Swidorowicz

Roger Swidorowicz es profesional de la salud, investigador, piloto, bombero y explorador, con una marcada vocación de servicio y un compromiso constante con la sociedad venezolana. Formado en la Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), entiende su trabajo científico, social y humanitario como una forma de devolverle al país lo aprendido y contribuir activamente al bienestar colectivo y a la preservación del patrimonio cultural.

En 1992 se incorporó a la Cuz Roja Venezolana en 1992 como voluntario (hasta el presente) y desde 2009 es director de la Junta Directiva de Fundación Operación Sonrisa Venezuela, de la cual fue presidente entre 2009 y 2018 desde donde ha desarrollado una amplia labor humanitaria en misiones médicas dedicadas a la atención de niños con malformaciones y deformaciones craneofaciales, como labio y paladar hendido, hidrocefalia y diversos síndromes metabólicos. Además, ha impulsado jornadas de atención médica en comunidades vulnerables, incluyendo comunidades indígenas del sur de Venezuela a través de la Fundación Sigma Dental. Ha formado parte de distintas Juntas Directivas en empresas del sector salud y seguros, así como destaca una relevante labor docente en programas de postgrado.

Es coautor del libro Entre el cielo y la roca. Arte rupestre del Parque Nacional Canaima, una obra de enfoque científico y documental que integra los aspectos geológicos, ecológicos y culturales del Parque Nacional Canaima. Junto al arqueólogo José Miguel Pérez-Gómez y de la mano de la Fundación Manoa y la Universidad Simón Bolívar, sus investigaciones han sido publicadas en medios científicos y divulgativos internacionales como Rock Art Research, National Geographic y Archeology Magazine. Su trayectoria refleja el compromiso de un investigador y miembro activo de la sociedad civil dedicado al conocimiento, la salud y el patrimonio cultural de Venezuela.