Connectivity and Complementarity in the Atlantic World: Toward a Global Oceanic Perspective
摘要
Examining the links between trade, mobility, navigation, and foodways opens up new perspectives. Indeed, the connectivity and complementarity of territories and societies were central to the Atlantic world during the early modern period. Through the prism of three major practices—supply, transformation, and production—we examine the complementarity between Atlantic territories and their populations. Such an open approach to research naturally leads us to take an interest in phenomena that go beyond the Atlantic margins alone, ultimately to cover oceanic spaces as a whole, while taking into account their diversity. Facing these scientific challenges opens up a discussion of the impact of the production and export of raw or processed foodstuffs have had on the natural and social landscape, as communities have built their territories according to opportunities, needs, or obligations. To study these historical events which took place over a long period of time, in this case between the fifteenth and nineteenth century, archaeology needs to adopt an integrated, decompartmentalized approach, drawing on a wide range of materials to avoid any biased considerations. An oceanic perspective can be the key to understanding global phenomena and cultural construction.