Las lenguas indígenas como contenido curricular: Samuel Lafone Quevedo y los programas de Arqueología americana de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (1899-1920)

Abstract

As a part of a broader research project that analyzes the process of institutionalization of knowledge about indigenous languages in Argentina, this contribution investigates the only curricular space of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires that paid special interest to the theme: the subject American Archeology, during the period in which Samuel Lafone Quevedo (1835-1920), a prominent figure in studies of indigenous languages of Argentina, was the professor in charge. Among the teaching topics, there are methodological issues for establishing linguistic affiliations and a series of relationship hypotheses designed by himself, which he considered crucial for the reconstruction of the ethnic cartography of Argentina. The article analyzes, first, the academic career of the professor and, later, the successive programs under his charge.