Archaeologists, Bananas, and Spies: The Development of Archaeology in Northern Colombia

Archaeology in northern Colombia, from the perspective of social history, was developed by American archaeologists after the First World War, when the United States began an expansion in Central America and the Caribbean through banana plantation operations. The United Fruit Company (UFC), a Boston-based company, owned large tracts of land in Central America and some areas of South America, including the Magdalena region in Colombia. Many archaeologists, associated with various museum institutions, used the banana company's networks to conduct archaeological expeditions alongside their espionage efforts attempting to stop what was considered German and Bolshevik expansion. This paper explores the emergence of archaeology in northern Colombia within this political framework.