Memórias, circulação de plantas e africanos escravizados na obra Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648)

Abstract

The slave trade during Brazilian colonization promoted the forced migration of thousands of Africans to be enslaved, which likely led to necessary socio-environmental adaptations for the survival of this population, as well as the circulation of knowledge and plants during this period. The Historia Naturalis Brasiliae, a work by Pies and Marggraf published in 1648, during the period of Dutch colonization in northeastern Brazil, contains descriptions that allow access to the “subterranean memories” of enslaved Africans regarding knowledge of the flora, as well as the “circulation” of species and associated knowledge. The objective was to reveal the “subterranean memories” about plants and their “circulation” among different agents and spaces in the construction of the scientific knowledge of the naturalists Pies and Marggraf, in association with enslaved Africans in the 17th century. To obtain the data a reading of the translated versions from 1942 and 1948 was conducted, and to verify the information, the original 1648 edition was consulted. The “subterranean memories” linked to plants were categorized in terms of direct and indirect association with enslaved Africans. For the identification of taxonomic clues, Pickel (2008) and Alcantara-Rodriguez et al. (2019) were used as auxiliary resources. The usage typologies described for the plants were organized into four categories: food, construction, medicinal, and technological. The frequency of citations was calculated for the plant part used and the method of preparation for consumption within the most significant usage category. Terms directly associated with enslaved Africans were more frequent, totaling 22 popular names associated with five terms, the most expressive of which was “Negros” (n=11; 46%). A total of 24 taxonomic clues and 37 popular names related to enslaved Africans were identified. The food use category was the most relevant (n= 13 citations; 68.4%). Highlighting the circulation of plants between Africa and Brazil, in Pies’ descriptions, Manihot esculenta Crantz. was the most versatile in this category (n=4 uses); and in Marggraf’s descriptions, Dioscorea alata L. was the only one with more than one food use (n=2). The part of the plant with the highest indication of consumption was the “root” (n=5; 38.5%), and the “cooked” preparation for consumption (n=3; 23.1%). Conditions of food and health insecurity among the enslaved population would be indicative of this circulation of knowledge related to plant species in their adaptation processes for survival under new socio-environmental conditions. It is understood that access to memory regarding the relationship of the invisible and oppressed with plant species deepens scientific knowledge about local biodiversity.