African Presence in Portugal: People and Things Within Material, Social, and Power Relations

The first reference to the presence of sub-Saharan Africans in Portugal was made in 1444 CE when several enslaved individuals entered the country through Lagos, Portugal. From that moment onward the amount of people and things arriving to the country originating in sub-Saharan Africa increased. Burials, ivories, and pottery provide evidence of the cultural contacts between Europeans and Africans in Portugal. This article analyzes the available information about the presence of African populations and material culture in Portugal, their cultural significance, and roles in the context of social networks in the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. These subjects entail debates about the impact of different agents in the construction of identities and their impacts in establishing and maintaining cultural relations.