Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century Amazonia
ABSTRACT During the eighteenth century, Portuguese settlers in Amazonia captured thousands of turtles and crushed millions of their eggs. These turtles, especially the Giant South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), gave these settlers two essential resources: meat and oil. Though there is a...
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Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Topoi |
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2237-101X2020000200350&tlng=en |
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| author | Christian Fausto Moraes dos Santos Marlon Marcel Fiori |
| author_facet | Christian Fausto Moraes dos Santos Marlon Marcel Fiori |
| author_sort | Christian Fausto Moraes dos Santos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT During the eighteenth century, Portuguese settlers in Amazonia captured thousands of turtles and crushed millions of their eggs. These turtles, especially the Giant South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), gave these settlers two essential resources: meat and oil. Though there is a rich historiography on turtle hunting, important social and environmental dimensions of the practice in Amazonia during the colonial period have been overlooked. In this paper we focus on how turtles played a key role in the diet and domestic needs of Portuguese settlers in the Amazon rainforest and explore the shape and magnitude of colonialism’s impact on these animals. The turtles became prime targets for Portuguese settlers because they were abundant and had characteristics and behavior that made them easy prey. Though P. expansa did not become extinct, Portuguese hunting had enduring impacts on their distribution and abundance that merit consideration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9e6a0bf7acb44153ba78138bfac5a95e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2237-101X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Topoi |
| spelling | doaj-art-9e6a0bf7acb44153ba78138bfac5a95e2025-08-20T03:06:14ZengUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroTopoi2237-101X2020-08-01214435037310.1590/2237-101x02104404Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century AmazoniaChristian Fausto Moraes dos Santoshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7537-4547Marlon Marcel Fiorihttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6507-0788ABSTRACT During the eighteenth century, Portuguese settlers in Amazonia captured thousands of turtles and crushed millions of their eggs. These turtles, especially the Giant South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), gave these settlers two essential resources: meat and oil. Though there is a rich historiography on turtle hunting, important social and environmental dimensions of the practice in Amazonia during the colonial period have been overlooked. In this paper we focus on how turtles played a key role in the diet and domestic needs of Portuguese settlers in the Amazon rainforest and explore the shape and magnitude of colonialism’s impact on these animals. The turtles became prime targets for Portuguese settlers because they were abundant and had characteristics and behavior that made them easy prey. Though P. expansa did not become extinct, Portuguese hunting had enduring impacts on their distribution and abundance that merit consideration.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2237-101X2020000200350&tlng=enAmazonGiant South American River TurtlePortuguese settlersEighteenth century |
| spellingShingle | Christian Fausto Moraes dos Santos Marlon Marcel Fiori Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century Amazonia Topoi Amazon Giant South American River Turtle Portuguese settlers Eighteenth century |
| title | Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century Amazonia |
| title_full | Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century Amazonia |
| title_fullStr | Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century Amazonia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century Amazonia |
| title_short | Turtles, indians and settlers: Podocnemis expansa exploitation and the Portuguese settlement in eighteenth-century Amazonia |
| title_sort | turtles indians and settlers podocnemis expansa exploitation and the portuguese settlement in eighteenth century amazonia |
| topic | Amazon Giant South American River Turtle Portuguese settlers Eighteenth century |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2237-101X2020000200350&tlng=en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christianfaustomoraesdossantos turtlesindiansandsettlerspodocnemisexpansaexploitationandtheportuguesesettlementineighteenthcenturyamazonia AT marlonmarcelfiori turtlesindiansandsettlerspodocnemisexpansaexploitationandtheportuguesesettlementineighteenthcenturyamazonia |