Cambedo, 1946: Letter on the Discovery of Portugal

Abstract Portugal ceased to have colonies in 1975, but continues to be constituted by colonial power relations. How can archaeology help deconstruct the idea of a nation-state as it appears in the hegemonic narrative that shapes today’s Portugal? We address this question with the genealogical method, which shall connect contemporary struggles over the decolonization of the public space with historical resistance to nation-state assimilation in Cambedo, a rural community on the Galician-Portuguese border. The emphasis reveals otherwise obfuscated historical events and connections, which we call “discoveries” of the present, the border, and modernity.