COLLECTIONS AND COLLECTORS. A HISTORICAL APPROACH TO THE FORMATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOUTH AMERICAN COLLECTIONS DURING 1913–1932 IN GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN
Abstract
The National Museum of World Cultures (Världskulturmuseet, former Etnografiska museet i Göteborg) has in its stores around 100 000 objects originating from almost all the world. Approximately 70% of these come from South America and a little more than 50% are pre-Columbian.
The presence of these South American objects in Gothenburg has to do with the figure of Erland Nordenskiöld. In 1913 Nordenskiöld was appointed as director of the section Ethnography at the Museum of Gothenburg (Göteborgs Museum) and occupied this position until his early death in 1932. His tenacious interest and the inspiration that he gave to his students has caused a generation of Swedish investigators to travel and study in different countries of Latin America. Among his students it is possible to be mention Stig Rydén, Sigvald Linne, Gösta Montell, Henry Wassén, without forgetting Alfred Métraux.
The figure of Nordenskiöld is associated in general with his ethnographic works, but he also made archaeological excavations during his fieldwork. In this work a brief presentation is given of the archaeological collections that are today in the museum and how these arrived at Gothenburg.
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References
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