Palmares:

Cartography, History and Politics of a Territory

Abstract

This article analyzes cartographic representations of Palmares, the largest and longest-lived maroon settlement in the history of slavery in Brazil. Despite inconsistencies regarding their sources, the maps published in 1947 by Edison Carneiro and in 1971/73 by Décio Freitas were acritically reproduced in the subsequent historiography, serving as references in the 1985 creation of the Serra da Barriga heritage site, as well as for archaeological excavations carried out in the 90s. Based on reinterpretations of primary sources on Palmares and on new maps drawn by Felipe Damasceno in 2018, the article critically examines the continuous occupation of the Palmares region and the political meanings of its territorial dimensions, particularly in the late 1670s and in the period between 1680 and 1694.