From Shipwrecks to Afrodescendant Communities

“We reconnect stories, knowledge, and memories that strengthen the soul and honor our roots.”

Based on traditional knowledge, we develop actions that promote identity, culture, and well-being, connecting past and present with purpose.

"Fieldwork"

Expeditions that unveil history

Through archaeological investigations and underwater expeditions, we strengthen the understanding of the African diaspora and its imprints on Brazilian territory. Each journey broadens access to knowledge and reaffirms the value of ancestral memory.

Archaeology that Rewrites History

AfrOrigens is a major archaeology project dedicated to the study of the African diaspora in Brazil. Based on field research and archaeological findings, the initiative investigates the shipwrecks of slave ships and the formation of quilombos, unveiling concrete fragments of a history marked by violence, resistance, and reconstruction. The data generated contribute to the recognition of Afro-descendant memory and strengthen actions of reparation and social inclusion.

Join this movement that seeks in the past the keys to a fairer and more inclusive future.

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Delve into this history

Underwater Archaeological Investigations

AfrOrigens works directly in coastal and submerged regions, investigating the remains of shipwrecks linked to the Atlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans. Through technical expeditions and field records, the project reveals archaeological evidence that broadens the historical understanding of the African diaspora and its developments in Brazilian territory.

Underwater archaeological sites identified and registered with IPHAN

Slave ship investigated on the Brazilian coast: the Brig Camargo

Aquatic environments hold submerged heritage, revealed by Underwater Archaeology, which often challenges traditional versions of history.

GILSON RAMBELLI

Full Professor of Underwater Archaeology at the Department of Archaeology, Federal University of Sergipe; Scientific Coordinator of AfrOrigens.

Our Objectives

AfrOrigens works to document, preserve, and promote the historical heritage of the African diaspora in Brazil. Through archaeological, educational, cultural, and environmental initiatives, the project contributes to strengthening Afro-descendant identities and to recognizing collective memory as heritage.

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“Each submerged trace is living evidence of stories that time tried to hide.”

AfrOrigens Team

Our Mission

AfrOrigens is engaged in mapping traces of the transatlantic trafficking of Africans, carrying out archaeological research on slave ships in partnership with quilombola communities.

The project values social protagonism, integrates diverse forms of knowledge, and seeks to make the underwater cultural heritage linked to the African diaspora accessible, strengthening its preservation, recognition, and social use.

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