Book Chapter by Nina Vieira
Imaginários do Mar. Uma antologia crítica. Vol. 1
The UNESCO Chair "Ocean's Cultural Heritage" held by NOVA University (Lisbon, Portugal) since 201... more The UNESCO Chair "Ocean's Cultural Heritage" held by NOVA University (Lisbon, Portugal) since 2016 is unique worldwide and brings to the spotlight the importance of obtaining knowledge on and of the management of tangible and intangible cultural and natural heritage of the open oceans, underwater realm and coastlines. Supported on a transatlantic network of researchers and their respective scientific and educational activities, topics under the umbrella of the early modern history of oceans such as underwater archaeology, maritime cultural landscapes, marine environmental history, cultures and societies, environments and resources management, are to be addressed and developed. These themes are part of the current international agendas for science, development and cooperation, and the UNESCO Chairs programme offers the adequate framework for the establishment of networking, for new common and integrated projects. This Chair also enhances the UNESCO principles of knowledge sharing, social solidarity, and establishing the basis for the development of good practices. As such, social sciences and humanities can contribute to inform on multiple societal challenges such as the changing conditions of marine ecosystems, climate change, heritage preservation and, also, ocean literacy. Here we are presenting the insights and motivations to develop such a UNESCO Chair and a related networking European project, both including components of research, education and outreach. Not aiming at presenting research or a global review, we intend to present main goals of the UNESCO Chair "Ocean's Cultural Heritage" and to highlight how different disciplines can contribute to the construction of knowledge and preservation of memory about the Atlantic since early modern times. A Cátedra UNESCO sobre o património cultural dos oceanos: Uma breve nota sobre história, ciência e literacia dos oceanos RESUMO A Cátedra UNESCO "O Património Cultural dos Oceanos" atribuída à Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (Portugal) em 2016 é única a nível mundial e revela a importância da gestão e preservação do património cultural e natural, tangível e intangível, dos oceanos, incluindo o espaço subaquático, e das zonas costeiras. Assim, com base numa rede transatlântica de investigadores e suas atividades científicas e de disseminação, diversos tópicos da história moderna dos oceanos, nos domínios da arqueologia subaquática, paisagens culturais marítimas, história ambiental marinha, culturas e sociedades, gestão ambiental e de recursos, serão abordados de forma integrada. Estes temas fazem parte das atuais agendas internacionais para a ciência, desenvolvimento e cooperação, para os quais o programa de Cátedras UNESCO é uma ferramenta ideal para a criação de redes. Esta Cátedra elege como linhas orientadoras os princípios da UNESCO de partilha de conhecimento, solidariedade social e desenvolvimento de boas práticas. Para tal, as ciências sociais e as humanidades podem contribuir para informar em diversos desafios societais, tais como sejam as mudanças nos ecossistemas marinhos, alterações climáticas, preservação de património e, ainda, a literacia para os oceanos. Aqui, apresentamos as motivações para o desenvolvimento desta Cátedra UNESCO e também de um projeto europeu relacionado, incluindo as vertentes de investigação, educação, disseminação e transferência de conhecimento. Não sendo um trabalho de investigação ou de revisão, pretendemos dar notícia dos principais objetivos da Cátedra UNESCO "O Património Cultural dos Oceanos" e salientar brevemente o recurso a várias disciplinas para a construção de um saber e memória sobre o Atlântico desde o início da modernidade.
Peoples, Nature and Environments: Learning to live together., 2020
Alterações Ambientais em Perspetiva Histórica, 2019
Two leagues north from the village of Pederneira lay a big and well-suited port for fishing and t... more Two leagues north from the village of Pederneira lay a big and well-suited port for fishing and trade; the King [D. Dinis] did not wish it to be empty and useless […] and issued a settlement permit for thirty inhabitants, who would have six fishing caravels and hunt […] This village, called Paredes, kept growing and growing until the time of King D. Manuel, when neighboring sands carried by the winds coming from all directions covered the houses and silted the port in such a way that it became uninhabited […] This way does the weather change and, with it, all things, even ruining villages.
Baleeiros do Sul II. Antropologia e História da Indústria Baleeira nas Costas Sul-americanas, 2018
A atividade baleeira no Brasil marcou a construção da territorialidade portuguesa na América, num... more A atividade baleeira no Brasil marcou a construção da territorialidade portuguesa na América, num período de transferência e circulação de conhecimento, produtos e pessoas. Numa triangulação de interesses económicos, entre a Europa, África e a América, a baleação teve impacto a nível social, cultural, científico e ambiental. A prática de uma caça dirigida a fêmeas e crias levou ao início das preocupações conservacionistas, consequente do desequilíbrio das populações pristinas de baleias, e pode ter desencadeado uma substituição sequencial das espécies alvo. Este é um tema de pesquisa da Ação Europeia COST Oceans Past Platform que, no âmbito da história ambiental, pretende analisar a relação humanos-meio natural e as trajetórias de mudança perante o meio marinho e aos seus elementos, vivos e atores da mesma história.
Cross-cultural Exchange and the Circulation of Knowledge in the First Global Age. , 2018
No contexto da Expansão portuguesa no Atlântico, a baleação teve um papel importante apesar de se... more No contexto da Expansão portuguesa no Atlântico, a baleação teve um papel importante apesar de ser mencionada pontualmente na historiografia da especialidade. Tal como outros recursos naturais, a baleia, e seus produtos derivados, esteve sujeita às dinâmicas do monopólio régio e não só beneficiou a Coroa Portuguesa e empresários, como potenciou o domínio territorial no Brasil. Técnicas baleeiras bascas foram transferidas da Europa para o Atlântico Sul no início do século XVII e prevaleceram durante três séculos até se tornarem obsoletas face às inovações tecnológicas de outras potências europeias e à redução dos stocks de baleias. Os impactos desta atividade fizeram sentir-se principalmente no aspeto económico, mas também a nível social, cultural e científico. Palavras-chave: Expansão portuguesa; Baleeira; Transferência de conhecimentos e técnicas.
Environmental History in the Making. Volume II: Acting, 2017
Portugal, together with the Basque Country, was an important whaling location where a whale cultu... more Portugal, together with the Basque Country, was an important whaling location where a whale culture developed since the Middle Age. Whaling and the ways of using stranded whales spread with the Portuguese expansion in the South Atlantic in the fifteenth century. In fact, organized whaling and development of related techniques did follow the Portuguese and Spanish expansion in the Atlantic. In the medieval and early modern Portugal, whaling had been an important economic activity. Nevertheless, reliable information for the period roughly spanning from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries is still scarce. Based on historical descriptions our investigation addresses the information available about the techniques used, the species exploited and the transfer of an activity across different Atlantic regions. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries whale use migrated from the Portuguese shores in Iberia to the Atlantic Islands (Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde) and to the new overseas territories, particularly to Brazil. Whalers did use small open boats and hand harpoons to reach and kill the whales. The Basque shore-based model was imported by several Atlantic regions but with significant impact on Brazilian coasts. This is relevant in a context of globalization of techniques and ways of handling whales and their products. Once the activity became established in Brazil, in the early seventeenth century, the Iberian Crowns started a shore whaling business and a Basque crew was hired for the first seasons. So, the beginning of whaling in these new regions was mostly supported upon Basque expertise. For the next couple of centuries, a structured shore based whaling enterprise developed in the coastal waters of Brazil, mainly dedicated to the hunting of right whales (Balaenidae) during the calving season. After the depletion of these the whalers turned to humpback whales. Local whalers in Brazil always stood with a land-based type of whaling in contrary to the Basques who conducted offshore whaling when moving into the North Atlantic and away from their Iberian shores. Basques and Portuguese whalers, and their Crowns played a significant role in the transfer of knowledge and techniques of whaling across the Atlantic in the early modern period.
Cetáceos de Portugal: Passado, Presente e Futuro, 2012
Nina Vieira, Erica Sá, Cecília Vilhena Ferreira, António Teixeira & Inês Carvalho
O conhecimento... more Nina Vieira, Erica Sá, Cecília Vilhena Ferreira, António Teixeira & Inês Carvalho
O conhecimento sobre ocorrência de cetáceos ao longo da costa continental portuguesa tem sido, ao longo do tempo, escasso e fragmentado. Várias compilações de dados históricos de baleação e arrojamentos, bem como observações de oportunidade, apontam para uma extensa lista de misticetos e odontocetos. Os resultados destes estudos integrados variam de acordo com a localização geográfica, mas algumas considerações gerais podem ser realçadas.
Perspectives on Oceans Past. A Handbook on Marine Environmental History , 2016
The perception of a natural environment, and human attitudes towards that environment and its ele... more The perception of a natural environment, and human attitudes towards that environment and its elements, have always been shaped by a multitude of factors such as aesthetics, traditional, cultural and historical importance, usefulness and economic value. More recently the level of public knowledge, along with the perception of the cognitive and behavioral characteristics as well as loveable qualities of the animals, plays a major role in human-nature relations. In this chapter, large marine mega fauna – a group that brings together charismatic species with similar features that enhances care in the context of this topic – are analyzed as paradigmatic case-studies in maritime history and marine environmental history of the Portuguese Atlantic from the fifteenth century to the present. The exploitation and trade of marine resources has a documented history which changed dramatically with the European Overseas Expansion. The exploration of the Atlantic constituted a strong stimulus not only to perceive the world in a new geographical and cultural dimension, but also – in describing the novelty, exoticism, beauty and strangeness of nature – to value it as an economical source leading to the dwindling of entire populations. Here, the cases of sea turtles and manatees in the South Atlantic are explored. Early modern written sources, iconography and cartography, modern fishing and import/export statistics, journals and news, articles and naturalists’ records, and contemporary oral history and conservation concerns were gathered and analyzed to understand changing perceptions and attitudes over time.
Books by Nina Vieira
Portugal, together with the Basque Country, was an important whaling location where a whale cultu... more Portugal, together with the Basque Country, was an important whaling location where a whale culture developed since the Middle Age. Whaling and the ways of using stranded whales spread with the Portuguese expansion in the South Atlantic in the 15 th century. In fact, organized whaling and development of related techniques did follow the Portuguese and Spanish expansion in the Atlantic. In the medieval and early modern Portugal, whaling had been an important economic activity. Nevertheless, reliable information for the period roughly spanning from the 13 th to the 18 th centuries is still scarce. Based on historical descriptions our investigation addresses the information available about the techniques used, the species exploited and the transfer of an activity across different Atlantic regions. In the 15 th and 16 th centuries whale use migrated from the Portuguese shores in Iberia to the Atlantic Islands (Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde) and to the new overseas territories, particularly to Brazil. Whalers did use small open boats and hand harpoons to reach and kill the whales. The Basque shore-based model was imported by several Atlantic regions but with significant impact on Brazilian coasts. This is relevant in a context of globalization of techniques and ways of handling whales and their products. Once the activity became established in Brazil, in the early 17 th century, the Iberian Crowns started a shore whaling business and a Basque crew was hired for the first seasons. So, the beginning of whaling in these new regions was mostly supported upon Basque expertise. For the next couple of centuries, a structured shore based whaling enterprise developed in the coastal waters of Brazil, mainly
Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and mari... more Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and marine natural resources over time. This is the first book which deals in a systematic way with the theoretical backgrounds of this discipline. Major theories and methods are introduced by leading scholars of the field. The book seeks to encapsulate some of the major novelties of this fascinating new discipline and its contribution to the management, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the cultural heritages of coastal communities in different parts of the world.
Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and mari... more Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and marine natural resources over time. This is the first book which deals in a
systematic way with the theoretical backgrounds of this discipline. Major theories and methods are introduced by leading scholars of the field. The book seeks to encapsulate
some of the major novelties of this fascinating new discipline and its contribution to the management, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the cultural heritages of coastal communities in different parts of the world.
Papers by Nina Vieira
Humanities
Cultural constructions of landscapes, space and environments, and of people’s relationship with n... more Cultural constructions of landscapes, space and environments, and of people’s relationship with nature, have in the Cape Verde Islands a perspective of their own and might have been mediated by the whale. To address perceptions about these marine mammals, historical sources, literature, art, memory and heritage were considered. Whaling influenced history and diaspora and is reflected in literary productions. Remains of whales are found in museums and used as decorative pieces and local art. We found the Cape Verdean seascapes as being culturally and naturally constructed and the whale occupies a true ‘place’ of convergence.
Aquatic Mammals
Since prehistoric times, cetaceans have been important food sources, but they also have been seen... more Since prehistoric times, cetaceans have been important food sources, but they also have been seen as monsters of the sea, a perception that did not change much during the past centuries. Due to a better understanding of their biology in recent years, the public perception towards cetaceans has been evolving. Various studies have been developed aiming to evaluate the attitude and perception of humans towards cetaceans, but these have been local and focused on specific target groups. Our study aimed to evaluate the attitude of the public towards cetaceans on a wide scale by using an international online questionnaire distributed exclusively on social media. An attitudinal scale proposed by Kellert (1985) on a Likert scale matrix was used with nine statements referring to dolphins and nine referring to whales. Even though specific constraints occur from such types of research (e.g., mostly highly educated and young respondents from developed countries), 5,222 responses were collected from 107 countries in total. While Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania were well represented, the number of answers from Africa and Asia were limited. Our results revealed a shift in the public attitude towards cetaceans, with the majority of people exhibiting a positive attitude following the global trend of a rising appreciation for wild-life. Whaling nations and ex-whaling nations that have continued that practice until recently exhibited a more negative attitude towards cetaceans, revealing the importance of culture, heritage, and memory in shaping attitudes. Finally, we discuss our findings under the light of the culture and history of different countries. (Less)
Anthropozoologica
Anthropozoologica est une revue en flux continu publiée par les Publications scientifiques du Mus... more Anthropozoologica est une revue en flux continu publiée par les Publications scientifiques du Muséum, Paris, avec le soutien du CNRS.
… of the Marine Biological Association of …, 2009
The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, was the most captured great whale in the Azores Archipel... more The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, was the most captured great whale in the Azores Archipelago by land-based whaling and nowadays is the most appealing species for whale watching, one of the archipelago's principal sources of tourism. Our objective was to ...
International Journal of Maritime History
The relationship between indigenous people and manatees in Brazil dates back to prehistoric times... more The relationship between indigenous people and manatees in Brazil dates back to prehistoric times. It has been the subject of interdisciplinary research by specialists in marine environmental history, ethnozoology and anthropology. Manatee species, Thrichechus inunguis and Thrichechus manatus, form part of the local culture and traditions of their distribution regions: subtropical and tropical regions, as well as the entire Amazon basin and its Atlantic range. The estimated number of manatees in Brazil when the Europeans first arrived was in the tens of thousands. But the several uses of this exotic, large and strange New World creature not only meant that it featured from early times in literature, folklore and mythology, but also led to hunting and therefore falling populations. We have collected information from documentary sources that referred to manatees. These derived mainly from the early modern era, and included travel books, letters from Portuguese and Spanish missionaries...
Facing Changes, Changing Targets: Sperm-Whale Hunting in Late Eighteenth-Century Brazil, 2019
In September 1773, the Leviathan, a whaling vessel from Rhode Island, New England, entered the po... more In September 1773, the Leviathan, a whaling vessel from Rhode Island, New England, entered the port of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. This chance landing would give rise to a whole new whaling industry in Brazil, as the American crew would teach their Portuguese counterparts how to hunt sperm whales. Sperm whales were one of the most valuable species pursued by whalers, due to the treasured spermaceti and ambergris that could be extracted from their bodies. The long-term commercial exploitation of sperm whales for these commodities has left their populations diminished and their future uncertain.
Humanities, 2020
Cultural constructions of landscapes, space and environments, and of people's relationship with n... more Cultural constructions of landscapes, space and environments, and of people's relationship with nature, have in the Cape Verde Islands a perspective of their own and might have been mediated by the whale. To address perceptions about these marine mammals, historical sources, literature, art, memory and heritage were considered. Whaling influenced history and diaspora and is reflected in literary productions. Remains of whales are found in museums and used as decorative pieces and local art. We found the Cape Verdean seascapes as being culturally and naturally constructed and the whale occupies a true 'place' of convergence. "Um rugido constante e fragoroso/Vem das praias e espalha-se no ar…/São as ondas do mar a soluçar/Um cântico magoado e misterioso" "As Ondas" (The Waves), poem by Jorge Barbosa 1929. The historical understanding of the ocean, the coastal waters and the open seas is a context-based one; it is grounded, simultaneously, on ecological and cultural realities. Civilisations think about the ocean and the interface between sea and land in very different ways, and the same happens with the limits or boundaries of continents and islands. For islanders, islands were connected to the sea around them, and were not perceived as small or insular; they were/are the centre of the world. For instance, to Pacific worldviews, islands were firm ground and the ocean the corridors that connected them. On the contrary, for societies living on landmasses, the sea was a void rather than a place, and what they perceived from their continental perspectives as islands in the far sea appeared small, remote and isolated whatever their size or proximity (Gillis 2007; Gillis and Torma 2015). These contrasting understandings of islands should not obscure the degree to which something like a sea of islands once existed in the Atlantic itself. And when historicising the Atlantic one can also discuss if islanders viewed it as a large sea full of places to explore and to inhabit, connected rather than divided by water (Hau'ofa 1994; Gillis 2007).
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Book Chapter by Nina Vieira
O conhecimento sobre ocorrência de cetáceos ao longo da costa continental portuguesa tem sido, ao longo do tempo, escasso e fragmentado. Várias compilações de dados históricos de baleação e arrojamentos, bem como observações de oportunidade, apontam para uma extensa lista de misticetos e odontocetos. Os resultados destes estudos integrados variam de acordo com a localização geográfica, mas algumas considerações gerais podem ser realçadas.
Books by Nina Vieira
systematic way with the theoretical backgrounds of this discipline. Major theories and methods are introduced by leading scholars of the field. The book seeks to encapsulate
some of the major novelties of this fascinating new discipline and its contribution to the management, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the cultural heritages of coastal communities in different parts of the world.
Papers by Nina Vieira
O conhecimento sobre ocorrência de cetáceos ao longo da costa continental portuguesa tem sido, ao longo do tempo, escasso e fragmentado. Várias compilações de dados históricos de baleação e arrojamentos, bem como observações de oportunidade, apontam para uma extensa lista de misticetos e odontocetos. Os resultados destes estudos integrados variam de acordo com a localização geográfica, mas algumas considerações gerais podem ser realçadas.
systematic way with the theoretical backgrounds of this discipline. Major theories and methods are introduced by leading scholars of the field. The book seeks to encapsulate
some of the major novelties of this fascinating new discipline and its contribution to the management, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the cultural heritages of coastal communities in different parts of the world.
A caça de baleias no Brasil moderno foi um monopólio régio entre 1614 e 1801, com importância económica, social, cultural e ambiental e que neste estudo foi abordado das perspetivas da História da Expansão Portuguesa e da História Ambiental Marinha.
O maior acervo documental utilizado neste estudo foi proveniente do Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino, através do Projeto Resgate de Documentação Histórica Barão do Rio Branco, disponível em linha (http://resgate.bn.br/docreader/docmulti.aspx?bib=resgate). Daqui resultou a identificação e compilação de fontes documentais, sistematizadas no presente Inventário, num total de 444 documentos, maioritariamente manuscritos, com referência a baleias e/ou à baleação, e que incluem consultas do Conselho Ultramarino, correspondência, ofícios, petições, ordens régias, entre outros. Estas fontes abarcam o período entre 1613 e 1821 e incluem-se nos acervos referentes às antigas capitanias de Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Pernambuco, e ainda no acervo Brasil Geral, Colónia de Sacramento e Rio da Prata, e Códices.
Esta ferramenta de base para investigações futuras sobre a temática é um produto resultante dos trabalhos realizados no âmbito do projeto “CONCHA- The construction of early modern global Cities and oceanic networks in the Atlantic: An approach via Ocean’s Cultural Heritage” (EU H2020-MSCA-RISE-2017, GA N. 777998) (http://www.cham.fcsh.unl.pt/ext/concha/), e da Cátedra UNESCO “O Património Cultural dos Oceanos” (http://www.cham.fcsh.unl.pt/ext/catedra/index.html).