On the track of Wanda Hanke and Betty Meggers: contexts of Brazilian anthropological and ethnological collections formation in the first half of the twentieth century

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to continue the research initiated in the doctorate on theexperiences of the ethnologist Wanda Hanke and archaeologist Betty Meggers in Brazil. Based onthe historical review of the scientific expeditions undertaken by these two scientists in the country,subject of the doctoral dissertation, the aim now is focus the analysis in the collections gathered by them, in some documents about these expeditions and scientific studies they published about Brazil.The analysis of this sources are important to increase our knowledge about the inclusion of these two women in the development of ethnology and archeology in Brazil, as well as investigate the relationships they established with museums and Brazilian researchers, the work of theseinstitutions in the period and also to perform an advanced mapping of these collections.Recent historiography has drawn attention to the importance of collections in the construction of scientific knowledge and these sets of objects have provided new and interesting research. In this context, an analysis of the collections gathered by Wanda Hanke and Betty Meggers in Brazil may contribute to the development of current research on ethnology,archeology,museology and history of science in Brazil. Moreover, the trajectories of women scientists are sometimes neglected in the historiography of science, but the study of these characters allow us to argue that female field researchers in Brazil were important and influenced the development of scientific disciplines and institutions. (AU)