Human bondage in the cultural contact zone

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Slavery, a long-accepted social institution, has historically subjected some individuals to bondage by more powerful people. It has also created cultural contact zones, forcing diverse cultures to share spaces in households, plantations, mines, and artistic representations. Recent commemorations of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade and the emergence of Black Atlantic Studies have renewed interest in this topic. Despite slavery's prominent role in British and American historiography, its implications for cultural encounters remain underexplored. This collection of essays aims to enhance understanding of various forms of human bondage within these cultural contact zones. The contributions span a wide range of scholarship and conceptual approaches, covering disciplines such as archaeology, ethics, aesthetics, and music. Topics include archaeological studies of ancient labor camps, the moral implications of early Christian slavery, the aestheticization of black bodies in colonial contexts, Enlightenment views on black revolution, mythical narratives in African-American culture, musical tributes to lynching victims, and the overlooked presence of slave laborers in Nazi Germany. The essays focus on the cultural and human dimensions of slavery while highlighting the significant differences among various forms of bondage throughout history, from antiquity to the twentieth century.