Acary de Passos Oliveira: percursos e contribuições para a formação da antropologia no Estado de Goiás

Abstract

In this work I analyzed the career trajectory of Acary de Passos Oliveira, a sertanista1 and the first director of the Anthropological Museum of the Federal University of Goiás, with the aim of glimpsing his contributions to the formation of the field of Anthropology in the state of Goiás, as well as understanding the political and social influences that shaped his ideas and actions. In addition to bibliographical consultations and studies, the analysis was based on a documentary review from the perspective of archival ethnography. Documents held by the UFG Anthropological Museum and the Goiás Institute of Prehistory and Anthropology at PUC Goiás, among others, were analyzed. The time frame covers the period from the late 1930s, when Acary de Passos began his work on national programs to integrate Central Brazil, to 1993, the year of his death. Within this time frame, two actions deserve to be highlighted: the creation and consolidation of the UFG Anthropological Museum and the formation of its first ethnographic and archaeological collections. Among other conclusions, this work reveals a multiple and complex trajectory, which paved the way for the construction of the field of museums, anthropology, archaeology and other related areas in the region.