Essai bibliographique sur l'archeologie francophone de la Mesoamerique: Bibliographical essay upon the French-speaking contributions to Mesoamerican archaeology; Ensayo bibliografico sobre la arqueologia francofona de Mesoamerica

The present bibliography of contributions in French to Mesoamerican studies aims to serve several purposes. For more than a century, Spanish, English and French were the three official languages of the International Congresses of Americanists. This situation stems from historical reasons: the first Congresses took place in Nancy, Luxemburg and Brussels. Since the fifties, the steady growth of Mexican and Central American national researches and the ever-growing weight of United States investigators slowly occulted the French contributions. Conversely, the establishment of research institutions in Belgium, Switzerland, France and Canada facilitated the multiplication of investigation projects in the whole continent, with their correlative publications. With this essay, we wish, 1) to make an assessment of the existing situation; 2) to provide our colleagues with the most complete number of references and draw their attention on unknown contributions frequently illustrated with forgotten objects; 3) to evaluate the contribution of the most recent formations; 4) last but not least, to insist upon the necessary confrontation of methods and points of view. We consider as fundamental this confrontation of methodological approaches, not to underestimate the diversity of interpretations. A language is not only a linguistic vehicle. It implies also a way of thinking, of reasoning. Each researcher answers a question, a problem according to his formation, his prejudices, his culture, his methods and his possibilities. From their confrontation, we may obtain better results, new tools and henceforth a better understanding of these civilizations.