Ports and more ports

maritime archeology of Cananéia (SP)

Abstract

Despite the fact that the maritime cargo and passengers transportation vanished from the Ribeira’s valley many years ago and the perception that this region is now economically decadent, its ports are still being very active due to commercial fishing and nautical tourism. How can maritime archaeology help to answer this possible paradox? Through the register and excavation of some harbours’ structures, a change of direction of the trade net was detected when the railways appeared in the beginning of the 20th century. The result was a transformation in the production chain process, causing the loss of economical power to ship owners and merchants and consequently disseminating the idea of an economically decadent region.