Logboats of Coquí: an ethnographic approach to maritime material culture

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the traditional logboats of Coquí, an Afro-descendant community in the Pacific coast of Chocó, Colombia. It considers these boats as an entry point into the life of the community and explores the technological and functional aspects of the watercraft, their wider context, and related social practices. Based on a transdisciplinary approach, it draws on an ethnographic methodology to look at the question of whether and how the boats inform on the life of the community, their history, their identity and their maritime concerns.

This thesis reflects upon the multiple ways in which people in Coquí relate to their boats and the many levels at which these boats operate. It demonstrates that the watercraft of the community of Coquí is significantly complex and holds a fundamental importance to their existence. The present study addresses the need of a comprehensive in-depth look at traditional boats in which the relationships between people and boats are as relevant as the pure technological and functional interests, dominant in the field of boat studies and maritime archaeology. It shows that ethnography is an effective methodology to unveil the richness of the materiality of social life, and the diversity of human engagements with the world.

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