Carla Jaimes Betancourt
Prof. Dr. Carla Jaimes Betancourt is Professor of the Cultural Heritage of the Americas at the University of Bonn. In 2025, she was honored with the Peter Ucko Memorial Award by the 10th World Archaeological Congress for her research on the consequences of colonialism, with a view toward a future "more ethical, community-oriented archaeology."
Amazon Basin
For approximately 20 years, Prof. Dr. Carla Jaimes Betancourt has been conducting research in the Amazon basin—specifically in the Bolivian region known as the Moxos Plains—into the cultural heritage of indigenous groups. She employs a transdisciplinary approach that draws upon the traditions and methods of archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, and material culture studies. Through collaborative research with local communities, she investigates both the past and the present situation, using these insights to devise scenarios for a better future for all.
Carla Jaimes Betancourt bei We Are Uni Bonn
Bild © Universität Bonn / YouTube
Indigenous perspectives
Carla Jaimes Betancourt’s research centers on Indigenous perspectives, thereby challenging conventional scientific paradigms and according due recognition to cultural self-determination, territorial sovereignty, and the decolonization of research practices. Interdisciplinary dialogue among Indigenous researchers and experts in archaeology, anthropology, and ecology enables the development of shared strategies to strengthen the resilience of Indigenous territories against external threats. In this way, colonial hierarchies in knowledge production are deconstructed, mutual learning is fostered, and a more equitable, inclusive future for cultural heritage research in South America is shaped.