The Unreachable Archives and Memory Loss
The article addresses the idea of "impossible archives," which pertains to memories and histories that are unrecorded or not showcased in official archives—particularly those related to the lives of individuals and communities that were never documented in writing or in visual form. It emphasizes the importance of paying attention to absences and silences within archives, and how these can reflect experiences and people that remain unverified or undocumented. This invites researchers to explore memory and the unseen aspects of history. The article highlights a research project studying these phenomena in Portugal, Spain, and African communities, noting that the absence of documents doesn't mean the absence of life or experience. Instead, it challenges researchers to consider unseen evidence, such as old letters or undocumented connections. In the context of the UAE, the article encourages recovering and examining the legacy left by the Portuguese presence along the country's coasts, focusing on the importance of contemplating the limits of archives and the potential to uncover human experiences that are missing from official records.
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