Transformaciones recientes en los paisajes rurales de la Cordillera Cantábrica (Noroeste ibérico): reflexiones desde la Arqueología contemporánea

This paper describes the recent transformations of rural spaces following an archaeological approach within the context of a research project that investigates the cultural genealogy of high mountain landscapes in the Cantabrian Mountains (Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula). It focuses on the decline of the peasant production system, and the spread of capitalism and globalization. The discourses that deal with these processes in the Spanish public sphere are also analysed. In addition, this work reflects on the possibilities for Archaeology to enrich social debates about the crisis of rural areas in Spain, and assess the role that our discipline may play in relation with the conflicts suffered by rural communities, in case of assuming a politically situated attitude for archaeological research.

Landscape Archaeology. Cultural Landscapes. Anthropocene. Pastoralism. Globalization. Rural Exodus.