- Universidade de São Paulo, Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Department Memberadd
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Cognitive archaeology, Arqueologia Brasileira (Brazilian Archeology), Bioarchaeology, and 15 moreLithic Technology, Tecnología Lítica, Pré-História, Archaeological Method & Theory, Lithics, Paleoindians, Arqueologia, Chaîne Opératoire, South American Archaeology, Paleoindian archaeology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Peopling of the Americas, The peopling of the Americas, Peopling of the New World, and Experimental Archaeologyedit
- Archaeologist interested in hunter-gatherers, early occupation of the Americas, human evolution, experimental archaeo... moreArchaeologist interested in hunter-gatherers, early occupation of the Americas, human evolution, experimental archaeology, lithic technology and science communication. Associate Professor of Archaeology at the Institute of Humanities and Information, Federal University of Rio Grande (ICHI-FURG) and Coordinator of the Laboratory for Evolutionary and Experimental Archaeology and Prehistory (LAPEEX). Native American mestizo, borned in Colombia and raised in Brazil.
Post-doc researcher in the Laboratory for Evolutionary Human Studies, University of São Paulo.
PhD in Archaeology from the National Museum, University of Rio de Janeiro (MN-UFRJ). Master’s degree in Archaeology fromMuseum of Archaeology and Etnology (MAE) of the University of São Paulo (USP). Bachelor degree in Archaeology from the Goiás Institute of Prehistory and Anthropology (IGPA) of the Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás (PUC-GO), a
My research is focused on lithic industries using technological and cognitive approaches and includes sites related to hunter-gatherer groups from the Pleistocene-Holocene transition as well as Holocene archaeological contexts in the Americas.
I am also the administrator of "Arqueologia e Pré-História" (www.arqueologiaeprehistoria.com), a Brazilian website about archaeology and director of "Arqueologia em Ação" (www.youtube.com/arqueologiaemacao), a Youtube channel focused on outreach and archaeology.edit
In recent years, Paleoamerican sites from central São Paulo state (Brazil) have been associated with a lithic industry known as Rioclarense, but only due the presence of stemmed points and lesmas. Although a few studies on a few sites... more
In recent years, Paleoamerican sites from central São Paulo state (Brazil) have been associated with a lithic industry known as Rioclarense, but only due the presence of stemmed points and lesmas. Although a few studies on a few sites have been previously presented regarding chronology, formation processes and technology of the lithic points, the complete technological study of the industry was still lacking. This study objective is to present a definition of the Rioclarense Culture. Known (so far) only by its lithic industry, it can be identified by the presence of the Rioclarense-type points and/or lesmas, and/or flakes, preforms and other tools with specific technological features. This article includes a short review on the Rioclarense Culture and ‘Umbu Tradition’ definitions and the first technological description of all classes of lithic materials of two Rioclarense-associated sites dating to the Early and Middle Holocene: Caetetuba and Alice Boer.
Research Interests:
The early occupation of the Americas is one of the main topics currently debated in South American Archeology. In the last years, relevant debates have been mostly focused on validating sites dated from the Pleistocene, the biocultural... more
The early occupation of the Americas is one of the main topics currently debated in South American Archeology. In the last years, relevant debates have been mostly focused on validating sites dated from the Pleistocene, the biocultural diversity and ancestry of native Americans, and the proposed models for the routes of arrival and spread in the subcontinent. Huntergatherer populations of the Americas were geographically dispersed, characterized by a wide variety of subsistence, habitation, and organizational structures. Their variability is clearly demonstrating the existence of distinct cultural pathways, including the early use and domestication of plants. Some sites have human records from the end of the Pleistocene, but others were still undeveloped at this early time. Regional variation could be related with environmental factors, cultural interactions, diet and landscape co-evolution. This entry presents a synthesis of South America’s peopling stage studies based on the most recent archaeological literature on the topic.
Research Interests:
To accurately replicate highly complex, flaked stone artifacts using the same raw materials as the original artifacts is a challenge for any present-day flintknapper. Replication of individual bifacial points from a Bronze Age burial... more
To accurately replicate highly complex, flaked stone artifacts using
the same raw materials as the original artifacts is a challenge for any
present-day flintknapper. Replication of individual bifacial points
from a Bronze Age burial mound in Wales led to further study of
the artifacts. Integrating experimental replication, technological
analysis, x-ray fluorescence, and geometric morphometry, we
conducted a study of the bifacial points from the Breach Farm
site. Results revealed two technological traditions; the
technological details of the production sequences; possible use of
a source of Greensand chert in France as raw material on both
shores of the English Channel; no evidence of practical use or
post-depositional damage; and the considerable expertise of the
flintknapper(s). This study suggests contact across the English
Channel involving people from Armorica (France) by trade or
tribute, and it supports interpretations of production of these
artifacts for mortuary contexts rather than functional use as
arrowpoints.
the same raw materials as the original artifacts is a challenge for any
present-day flintknapper. Replication of individual bifacial points
from a Bronze Age burial mound in Wales led to further study of
the artifacts. Integrating experimental replication, technological
analysis, x-ray fluorescence, and geometric morphometry, we
conducted a study of the bifacial points from the Breach Farm
site. Results revealed two technological traditions; the
technological details of the production sequences; possible use of
a source of Greensand chert in France as raw material on both
shores of the English Channel; no evidence of practical use or
post-depositional damage; and the considerable expertise of the
flintknapper(s). This study suggests contact across the English
Channel involving people from Armorica (France) by trade or
tribute, and it supports interpretations of production of these
artifacts for mortuary contexts rather than functional use as
arrowpoints.
Research Interests:
Aiming to contribute to discussions of early (>8 thousand years ago) human-Earth interactions on South America, an integrated analysis was carried out between geological, geomorphological, paleoenvironmental and archaeological data in the... more
Aiming to contribute to discussions of early (>8 thousand years ago) human-Earth interactions on South America, an integrated analysis was carried out between geological, geomorphological, paleoenvironmental and archaeological data in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Despite the climatic fluctuations registered in São Paulo during Early Holocene (11.5-8.0 thousand years ago), human occupation (evidenced by flaked rock tools, anthropogenic sedimentary deposits and human skeletons linked to 14C and OSL ages prior to 8 thousand years ago) remained present there throughout the period and without major changes along time in the technological attributes of at least part of their lithic industries, suggesting resilience of such early humans groups in the face of these environmental changes. It was found that around 8,5 thousand years ago, human occupation was present in all the major geomorphological-geological domains of São Paulo State, considered representative of the physical landscape units of the southeastern South America, even though each of them had different availability of attributes valued by the hunter-gatherer ways of life, suggesting significant adaptive capacity to different contexts of the physical environment by these ancient human groups. Also, it was registered that early human settlements are more numerous and older (>10 thousand years ago) in one of the state relief domains: the Cuestas (a transition between two major geomorphological domains of southeastern South America), characterized by the high availability of rocky outcrops of geological units of good capability for manufacturing of stone tools macroscopically similar to the raw materials of many of the artifacts found on such early settlements, highlighting the importance that sources of lithic materials had in the way of life of these ancient populations. Regardless of the different landscape provinces in which they are inserted, most of these ancient human occupations are located in places of relative similar altitudes, inclinations, drainages and proximity (>16 km) of sources of lithic raw materials (e.g, flint, sandstones and quartz found at in situ rocky outcrops and/or gravels fluvial deposits) that strong resembles those of the ancient artifacts, suggesting similar strategies to insert themselves in different geomorphological and geological contexts.
Research Interests:
Most lithic industries associated with hunter-gatherer groups in Eastern South America, especially the ones with points present, date to the Early Holocene, with some minor industries and lithic points typologies persisting until the... more
Most lithic industries associated with hunter-gatherer groups in Eastern South America,
especially the ones with points present, date to the Early Holocene, with some minor industries
and lithic points typologies persisting until the Middle Holocene and, more rarely, until the Late
Holocene. This is the case for the Garivaldinense lithic industry associated points typologies. In
this article we present the technological analysis of the points identified at the Pororó site, located
in central Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The site is an artificial mound dated to around 2,500 BP.
We applied an established protocol for analysis of stemmed points considering metric,
morphological and technological features that allowed us to classify the artefacts in typologies. We
identified two types of points associated to the Garivaldinense lithic industry: the Montenegro and
Garivaldinense types. We have also identified a new type that has never been described before and
proposed to refer to it as the Pororó type. At least one Pay Paso point was identified at the site,
although this type of point is not yet known at other sites of this region and chronology. The results
indicate persistence of the Garivaldinense Culture from the Early to Late Holocene, as well as
technological innovation during the Late Holocene.
especially the ones with points present, date to the Early Holocene, with some minor industries
and lithic points typologies persisting until the Middle Holocene and, more rarely, until the Late
Holocene. This is the case for the Garivaldinense lithic industry associated points typologies. In
this article we present the technological analysis of the points identified at the Pororó site, located
in central Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The site is an artificial mound dated to around 2,500 BP.
We applied an established protocol for analysis of stemmed points considering metric,
morphological and technological features that allowed us to classify the artefacts in typologies. We
identified two types of points associated to the Garivaldinense lithic industry: the Montenegro and
Garivaldinense types. We have also identified a new type that has never been described before and
proposed to refer to it as the Pororó type. At least one Pay Paso point was identified at the site,
although this type of point is not yet known at other sites of this region and chronology. The results
indicate persistence of the Garivaldinense Culture from the Early to Late Holocene, as well as
technological innovation during the Late Holocene.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Com o objetivo de ponderar conexões entre quadros naturais e a ocupação humana pré-colonial, caracterizou-se os artefatos e a contextualização geomorfológica e ambiental de quatro sítios líticos vinculados a antigos registros de grupos... more
Com o objetivo de ponderar conexões entre quadros naturais e a ocupação humana pré-colonial, caracterizou-se os artefatos e a contextualização geomorfológica e ambiental de quatro sítios líticos vinculados a antigos registros de grupos caçadores-coletores do sul e sudeste do Brasil, associados a três distintas indústrias líticas. Elencou-se associação dos sítios com terrenos de baixos declives e altimetrias em seus respectivos contextos (terrenos mais estáveis para fixação humana), adjacentes a córregos e próximos de faixas do terreno que registram maiores inclinações e desníveis verticais, mais propensas a apresentarem afloramentos rochosos (fontes potenciais de matérias-primas para a confecção de ferramentas lascadas). Elencou-se fontes de matérias-primas nos entornos de cada sítio e as matérias- primas associadas aos artefatos, e ponderou-se a correlação entre os dois conjuntos de dados. Analisou-se a relação dos padrões tecnológicos de artefatos líticos com a caracterização petrográfica das matérias-primas, verificando-se quais silcretes semelhantes foram usadas para produção de artefatos distintos. Ainda, verificou-se que alguns dos produtos líticos de um dos sítios analisados mostram padrões tecnológicos semelhantes, mesmo quando obtidos a partir de silcretes distintos. Caracterizou-se ausência de variação significativa dos atributos tecnológicos dos artefatos registrado sem diferentes posicionamentos verticais nos perfis das unidades de escavação nas quais foram registrados, mesmo quando mostram-se associados a registros paleoambientais distintos (alternâncias entre climas mais secos que os atuais e condições caracterizadas por incrementos de umidade no intervalo de 11 a 7 mil anos atrás)
Research Interests:
A arqueologia experimental, ainda que aplicada de alguma maneira desde a década de 1970 no Brasil, ainda não se tornou uma área consolidada na Arqueologia Brasileira. Poucos dos trabalhos já realizados buscaram testar hipóteses sobre a... more
A arqueologia experimental, ainda que aplicada de alguma maneira desde a década de 1970 no Brasil, ainda não se tornou uma área consolidada na Arqueologia Brasileira. Poucos dos trabalhos já realizados buscaram testar hipóteses sobre a tecnologia de grupos caçadores-coletores, principalmente através da replicação sistemática dos artefatos. Este artigo foi pensado tendo como público alvo estudantes e profissionais da arqueologia brasileira, com o objetivo de apresentar: um breve histórico das origens da arqueologia experimental, seu discreto desenvolvimento no cenário nacional, a metodologia básica da abordagem, e a discussão da importância da abordagem para o estudo de grupos caçadores-coletores a partir de vários exemplos experimentais.
Research Interests:
Ainda que as indústrias líticas do Estado de São Paulo sejam estudadas desde a década de 1960, poucos estudos tratam da análise da etapa de debitagem nela, ou seja, da análise tecnológica dos núcleos. Este artigo realiza um breve relato... more
Ainda que as indústrias líticas do Estado de São Paulo sejam estudadas desde a década de 1960, poucos estudos tratam da análise da etapa de debitagem nela, ou seja, da análise tecnológica dos núcleos. Este artigo realiza um breve relato da identificação fortuita de quatro núcleos do tipo "discoide" na região de Rio Claro, centro do Estado de São Paulo, e da existência de uma jazida de sílex (troncos fósseis silicificados) localizada entre sítios associados à indústria Rioclarense. Também é apresentado um breve histórico de pesquisas na região, além dos atributos tecnológicos dos quatro núcleos identificado. A sua possível associação com indústrias líticas já conhecidas no interior paulista é discutida, contribuindo assim com o avanço dos estudos das indústrias líticas do Estado.
Research Interests:
Com o objetivo de ponderar conexões entre quadros naturais e a ocupação humana pré-colonial, caracterizou-se os artefatos e a contextualização geomorfológica e ambiental de quatro sítios líticos vinculados a antigos registros de grupos... more
Com o objetivo de ponderar conexões entre quadros naturais e a ocupação humana pré-colonial, caracterizou-se os artefatos e a contextualização geomorfológica e ambiental de quatro sítios líticos vinculados a antigos registros de grupos caçadores-coletores do sul e sudeste do Brasil, associados a três distintas indústrias líticas. Elencou-se associação dos sítios com terrenos de baixos declives e altimetrias em seus respectivos contextos (terrenos mais estáveis para fixação humana), adjacentes a córregos e próximos de faixas do terreno que registram maiores inclinações e desníveis verticais, mais propensas a apresentarem afloramentos rochosos (fontes potenciais de matérias-primas para a confecção de ferramentas lascadas). Elencou-se fontes de matérias-primas nos entornos de cada sítio e as matérias-primas associadas aos artefatos, e ponderou-se a correlação entre os dois conjuntos de dados. Analisou-se a relação dos padrões tecnológicos de artefatos líticos com a caracterização petrográfica das matérias-primas, verificando-se quais silcretes semelhantes foram usadas para produção de artefatos distintos. Ainda, verificou-se que alguns dos produtos líticos de um dos sítios analisados mostram padrões tecnológicos semelhantes, mesmo quando obtidos a partir de silcretes distintos. Caracterizou-se ausência de variação significativa dos atributos tecnológicos dos artefatos registrados em diferentes posicionamentos verticais nos perfis das unidades de escavação nas quais foram registrados, mesmo quando mostram-se associados a registros paleoambientais distintos (alternâncias entre climas mais secos que os atuais e condições caracterizadas por incrementos de umidade no intervalo de 11 a 7 mil anos atrás).
Research Interests:
The lack of a standard protocol for analyzing and comparing multiple assemblages of lithic artifacts has hindered the advance of a better understanding of the cultural diversity associated to prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. This was... more
The lack of a standard protocol for analyzing and comparing multiple assemblages of lithic artifacts has hindered
the advance of a better understanding of the cultural diversity associated to prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups.
This was the case of Brazilian archaeologists that for many decades associated lithic stemmed point assemblages
to a cultural entity known as “Umbu Tradition”. However, most associations of assemblages to this “tradition”
have been made regardless of the type of lithic points, as well as ignoring other elements related to the lithic
industry, settlement patterns, among others. As a result, since the 1980s, several studies have been questioning
the validity of such Tradition. Recent research has proposed new definitions for the previously associated Umbu
Tradition lithic industries based on the stemmed points typology. However, no raw data on the technological
analysis of such points have ever been presented. This article proposes a protocol for the technological study of
lithic points that allows the application of descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis to verify if these types
present or not significant differences. We present new data on the technological analysis of 501 lithic points from
sites located in the supposed Umbu Tradition coverage area and period, as well two new Early Holocene C14
dates for one of the studied sites (Caetetuba site). Our results corroborate previous propositions of discarding
Umbu Tradition as a valid cultural entity, as well as new typologies for the points. We also show that our protocol
is suitable to unravel potential cultural patterns regarding many attributes in lithic points as well as to explore if
there are significant differences among previously defined types.
the advance of a better understanding of the cultural diversity associated to prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups.
This was the case of Brazilian archaeologists that for many decades associated lithic stemmed point assemblages
to a cultural entity known as “Umbu Tradition”. However, most associations of assemblages to this “tradition”
have been made regardless of the type of lithic points, as well as ignoring other elements related to the lithic
industry, settlement patterns, among others. As a result, since the 1980s, several studies have been questioning
the validity of such Tradition. Recent research has proposed new definitions for the previously associated Umbu
Tradition lithic industries based on the stemmed points typology. However, no raw data on the technological
analysis of such points have ever been presented. This article proposes a protocol for the technological study of
lithic points that allows the application of descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis to verify if these types
present or not significant differences. We present new data on the technological analysis of 501 lithic points from
sites located in the supposed Umbu Tradition coverage area and period, as well two new Early Holocene C14
dates for one of the studied sites (Caetetuba site). Our results corroborate previous propositions of discarding
Umbu Tradition as a valid cultural entity, as well as new typologies for the points. We also show that our protocol
is suitable to unravel potential cultural patterns regarding many attributes in lithic points as well as to explore if
there are significant differences among previously defined types.
Research Interests:
Lagoa Santa recorded ~12,500 years of non-continuous human occupation in cavities and open air sites. For the early- and middle Holocene occupations, lithic technology, zooarchaeology, osteological markers and multi-isotopic analyses... more
Lagoa Santa recorded ~12,500 years of non-continuous human occupation in cavities and open air sites. For the early- and middle Holocene occupations, lithic technology, zooarchaeology, osteological markers and multi-isotopic analyses indicate groups of foragers with low mobility and a subsistence strategy focused on gathering plant foods and hunting small and mid-sized animals but no megafauna. A high frequency of caries is observed among women. Lithics include small flakes and cores of quartz. Artefacts like projectile points and axe blades occur marginally. Funerary rituals included primary burials (10.3–10.6 cal kyBP), reduction of the body followed by secondary burial (9.4–9.6 cal kyBP) and pits filled with disarticulated and fragmented bones of a single individual (~8.2–8.6 cal kyBP). Rock art abounds, including the oldest securely dated case of South America (10.5 cal kyBP). Representations include animals, filiform anthropomorphs, geometric motifs, manioc’s tubers and semi-lunar axes. Similar styles are found over a large area of Brazil. Ancient DNA extracted from several early Holocene skeletons indicates they are entirely nested within past and present Native American genetic diversity. Pottery arrives during the late Holocene with undecorated vessels of varying sizes (0.2–417 L), tubular pipes, spindle whorls, highly polished axes and ritual semi-lunar axes (Aratu-Sapucaí-Una Tradition). In the site ‘Vereda III’, more than 3,000 in situ sherds indicate repeated use for ritual feasts centred on fermented beverages: (maize?). Polychrome pottery occurring in low frequency testify to the late presence of Tupi-speaking groups. During the colonial period, Lagoa Santa housed large haciendas for cattle and agriculture, resulting in the formation of large farms with thousands of enslaved people. Stub-stemmed earthenware pipes from the nineteenth century, an important element of African diasporic identities, were produced in the region.
Research Interests:
Brazilian archaeological literature has insisted for decades upon associating hunter-gatherer sites dated to the Pleistocene–Holocene transition either to the Itaparica tradition, if located in central or northeastern Brazil, or to the... more
Brazilian archaeological literature has insisted for decades upon associating hunter-gatherer sites dated to the Pleistocene–Holocene transition either to the Itaparica tradition, if located in central or northeastern Brazil, or to the Umbu tradition and Humaitá tradition, if located in southern Brazil, Uruguay, or any other adjacent part of Paraguay and Argentina. These associations have been based almost entirely on the presence or absence of lesmas and “projectile points,” regardless of their morphological and technological features. In the Uruguayan archaeological literature, three other cultures are recognised: Fell industry, Catalanense industry, and Tigre tradition, all in the Uruguayan region. However, the last 10 years of systematic studies on the lithic assemblages from these sites have shown that Paleoindian societies from Eastern South America are more culturally diverse than expected and that previously defined archaeological cultures present several issues in their definition, suggesting that many of these “traditions” are not valid and should no longer be used. Instead, new lithic industries and archaeological cultures should be defined only when cultural patterns are observable through systematic analyses.
Research Interests:
Experimental archaeology, especially experimental lithic technology, has not yet been established as a line of research in Brazil (or most of South America). This article presents the first systematic experimental research aiming the... more
Experimental archaeology, especially experimental lithic technology, has not yet been established as a line of research in Brazil (or most of South America). This article presents the first systematic experimental research aiming the replication of Paleoamerican (or Paleoindian) lithic industries. Experimental replication of the stemmed points from Rioclarense and Garivaldinense industries were carried out in order to better understand their original technology. This article presents the results of this experiment and the comparison of the technological attributes of the replicated points and flakes to the archaeological ones. The results lead us to a discussion on some important technological aspects of the first lithic industries of Eastern South America.
Research Interests:
Although there is some variety between archaeologists’ definitions of Archaeology, most of them agree it is a science that studies material vestiges and that it aims to understand the humanity (see “Archaeology: Definition”). However,... more
Although there is some variety between archaeologists’ definitions of Archaeology, most of them agree it is a science that studies material vestiges and that it aims to understand the humanity (see “Archaeology: Definition”). However, archaeology is still completely unknown among a great part of general public. On the other side, some of the people who have ever heard about archeology at least once in their lives still relate it to dinosaurs or some fictional media that, even with no intention, distorts the public understanding related to real life archaeology. Journalistic media still confuses archaeology with paleontology and/or relate it to amateurs and sensationalistic studies of the past. Because of that, some archaeologists are always concerned about providing archaeological learning to the general public (see “‘Public’ and Archaeology”).
Actually, one of the scientific research goals is to transmit knowledge about produced data to other research studies and to the...
Actually, one of the scientific research goals is to transmit knowledge about produced data to other research studies and to the...
Research Interests:
The Umbu Tradition is an archaeological cultural unit created in late 1960s to better describe the variation observed in sites presenting lithic bifacial points in southern Brazil. Over the years, many Brazilian archaeologists, when... more
The Umbu Tradition is an archaeological cultural unit created in late 1960s to better describe the variation observed in sites presenting lithic bifacial points in southern Brazil. Over the years, many Brazilian archaeologists, when studying archaeological sites presenting bifacial points, have associated these to the Umbu Tradition, regardless of region or chronology. Since the 1990s, some authors have questioned the validity of such an encompassing archaeological tradition. This article presents a brief history of the association of archaeological assemblages to the Umbu Tradition and a few comments which clarify some misunderstandings put forward by Su arez et al. (2017). We agree with Su arez et al. (2017) that these criticisms of the current concept of the Umbu Tradition are fair and that more data is still necessary to further explore the relationship between what has been called Umbu and other sites from southern Brazil and Uruguay.
Research Interests:
During the second half of the twentieth century, Brazilian archaeologists organized the Paleoindian sites of southeastern and southern Brazil into an archaeological cultural unit known as the Umbu Tradition. Umbu sites were characterized... more
During the second half of the twentieth century, Brazilian archaeologists organized the Paleoindian
sites of southeastern and southern Brazil into an archaeological cultural unit known as the Umbu
Tradition. Umbu sites were characterized by the large presence of bifacial points in the lithic
industries. However, few studies have been accomplished to determine whether there is
technological patterning among the Umbu-related lithic assemblages, especially patterns in
flakes and other tools. This article presents new data about the Umbu-related lithic industry from
the Laranjito archaeological site. Laranjito is located along the Uruguay River margin, and it has
been dated to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (12,915 ± 116 to 11,904 ± 308 cal yr BP).
sites of southeastern and southern Brazil into an archaeological cultural unit known as the Umbu
Tradition. Umbu sites were characterized by the large presence of bifacial points in the lithic
industries. However, few studies have been accomplished to determine whether there is
technological patterning among the Umbu-related lithic assemblages, especially patterns in
flakes and other tools. This article presents new data about the Umbu-related lithic industry from
the Laranjito archaeological site. Laranjito is located along the Uruguay River margin, and it has
been dated to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (12,915 ± 116 to 11,904 ± 308 cal yr BP).
Research Interests:
The Itaparica tradition is a Palaeoindian cultural group identified in northeastern Brazil throughout the Brazilian Central Plateau. Palaeoindian sites are associated to Itaparica tradition because of a large presence of limaces-specific... more
The Itaparica tradition is a Palaeoindian cultural group identified in northeastern Brazil throughout the Brazilian Central Plateau. Palaeoindian sites are associated to Itaparica tradition because of a large presence of limaces-specific unifacial plan-convex scrapers with multiple active edges. Although some of these artifacts still can be found during the Middle Holocene in the central region of Brazil, the association of the lithic industries to the Itaparica tradition seems problematic because of the low frequency of limaces and the general technological changes on the lithic industry from the Early to Middle Holocene. This article presents a review of the Córrego do Ouro site (also known as GO-CP-17) research and the technological features that make the Itaparica tradition association problematic, such as the rarity of limaces in the region (only one), the lack of Early Holocene dates, and the lack of similarities with the Serranópolis region lithic industry.
Research Interests:
Early Archaic human skeletal remains found in a burial context in Lapa do Santo in east-central Brazil provide a rare glimpse into the lives of hunter-gatherer communities in South America, including their rituals for dealing with the... more
Early Archaic human skeletal remains found in a burial context in Lapa do Santo in east-central Brazil provide a rare glimpse into the lives of hunter-gatherer communities in South America, including their rituals for dealing with the dead. These included the reduction of the body by means of mutilation, defleshing, tooth removal, exposure to fire and possibly cannibalism, followed by the secondary burial of the remains according to strict rules. In a later period, pits were filled with disarticulated bones of a single individual without signs of body manipulation, demonstrating that the region was inhabited by dynamic groups in constant transformation over a period of centuries.
Research Interests: American Studies, Archaeology, Paleoanthropology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Nutrition and Dietetics, and 124 moreAnthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Human Evolution, Zooarchaeology, Computed Tomography, Stable Isotope Analysis, Bioarchaeology, Geoarchaeology, Death, Death Studies, Mobility/Mobilities, GeoArcheology, Cultural Transmission (Evolutionary Biology), Brazilian History, Ritual, Cannibalism, Archaeological Soil Micromorphology, Stable Isotopes, Funerary Archaeology, Osteology, Brazil, South America (Archaeology), Bone and Antler, Morphology, Cultural Evolution, Funeral Practices, Physical Anthropology, Prehistoric religion and r ritual a, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Radiocarbon, Taphonomy, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Confocal Microscopy, Deviant burial (Archaeology), Lithic Technology, OSL dating, Ritual (Anthropology), Anthropology of Death, Diatoms, Ritual Theory, Lithics, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Stone axes (Archaeology), Mobility (Archaeology), Archaeology of Caves and Caverns (Archaeospeleology), Bayesian Radiocarbon Dating, Osteology (Anthropology), Ritual Zooarchaeology, Archeologia, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Archaeology of Ritual, Bioanthropology, Bone Technology (Archaeology), Mortuary archaeology, Stable Isotopes in Foodwebs, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Arqueología, Luminescence (OSL), Mortuary studies, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene, Ritual Studies, Quaternary palaeontology, Archaeology of burials, Human Osteology, Funerary Practices, Strontium Isotope Analysis, South American Archaeology, Brasil, Zooarqueologia, Arqueologia, Prehistoric Archeology, Antropología cultural, Prehistoric polished stone tools, Neolithic Axes, Bow and Arrow Technology, Projectile technology, South American Indians, Projectile Points, Rituals, The Bow and Arrow, Lithic Projectile Hafting system, Antropología Social, Microwear Analysis, Stone tools, Micromorphology, Antropología, Lithic Analysis, Mortuary Practices, Archaeology of death and burial, Archéologie, Cranial Morphology, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Sex Estimation, Bone Tools, Burial Customs, Anthropology of Lowland South America, Tecnología Lítica, Craniometry, South America, Archaeological Fire Structures Studies, Karst and Caves, Latin American Archaeology, Zooarcheology, Hunter-Gatherers, Arrowheads, Graves, Lagoa Santa, Pré-História, Pre-history, Funeral Rites, Bioantropología, Archeologia Funeraria, Ritual Practices, Archéologie funéraire, Bioarchaeology, Osteology, Paleopathology, Litico, Bone and Antler Artifacts, Strontium Isotopes, Arte Funerario, Polished Stone Axes, Archeology, and Rituais Funerário
In this article we present the results of a series of analysis performed on a lithic artifact from the Itaparica industry, a limace, found in Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu, an archaeological site bordering the Lagoa Santa area in Central... more
In this article we present the results of a series of analysis performed on a lithic artifact from the Itaparica industry, a limace, found in Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu, an archaeological site bordering the Lagoa Santa area in Central Brazil. The site was occupied between 11.477 ± 133 cal. BP and 1.087 ±78 cal. BP, and the archaeological record for this occupation is related to the archaeological Lagoa Santa Tradition. However, the artifact was found in deeper and relative older archaeological levels, in a different stratigraphy context. The technological analysis confirms its exotic nature, not corresponding to the Lagoa Santa industry, but to another Paleoindian archaeological tradition instead. Its technological features are similar to the limaces related to Itaparica Tradition lithic industries. It's important to notice that this is the only limace found at Lagoa Santa until now, and archaeological context did not allow us to associate it to the Lagoa Santa Tradition. In order to have an insight on the use of this artifact we performed some technological and micro-remain analysis. Various starch grains and other materials were recovered from the active parts of the artifact. The microbotanical analysis indicated the use of the artifact for processing starchy plants. As far as we know, this is the most ancient evidence of the processing of starchy plants in the Americas.
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Apesar de as indústrias líticas com presença de pontas bifaciais no sudeste e sul do Brasil serem geralmente associadas à unidade cultural denominada Tradição Umbu, ainda são escassos os estudos tecnológicos destas indústrias, de modo que... more
Apesar de as indústrias líticas com presença de pontas bifaciais no sudeste e sul do Brasil serem geralmente associadas à unidade cultural denominada Tradição Umbu, ainda são escassos os estudos tecnológicos destas indústrias, de modo que se torna difícil testar a validade desta unidade cultural a partir desta abordagem. Este artigo apresenta o estudo tecnológico da indústria do sítio Santa Cruz, localizado no município de Monte Mor, estado de São Paulo, e tem como objetivo fornecer uma completa descrição da indústria estabelecendo um padrão tecnológico, e fornecer mais uma fonte de dados para sítios anteriormente associados à Tradição Umbu.
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Uma vez que entendemos a cognição como o conjunto de processos de aquisição e transmissão do conhecimento, torna-se possível caracterizar alguns aspectos da relação das sociedades humanas com o mundo material. A tecnologia, enquanto... more
Uma vez que entendemos a cognição como o conjunto de processos de aquisição e transmissão do conhecimento, torna-se possível caracterizar alguns aspectos da relação das sociedades humanas com o mundo material. A tecnologia, enquanto estudo dos métodos e técnicas, tem demonstrado ser muito eficaz para caracterizar as indústrias de artefatos. Casando com a abordagem de cadeia operatória, é possível tentar compreender diversos aspectos cognitivos das sociedades humanas. Neste artigo, consideraremos o papel da abordagem tecnológica nos estudos de indústrias como um viés para buscar aspectos cognitivos humanos, responsáveis pela idealização, produção e utilização dos artefatos.
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The Itaparica tradition is a lithic industry largely known with evidences of its presence in sites all over Brazil’s Central Plateau. Its main characteristic is the overwhelming presence of unifacially retouched artifacts (limaces) in... more
The Itaparica tradition is a lithic industry largely known with evidences of its presence in sites all over Brazil’s Central Plateau. Its main characteristic is the overwhelming presence of unifacially retouched artifacts (limaces) in these sites during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition and Early Holocene. Previous researches confirm the technological similarity of the limaces between some of these sites. This paper presents a technological analysis of the flaking residues of one of these sites: The Grutas das Araras Rockshelter, in which oldest levels were interpreted as a lithic workshop.
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O modelo conhecido como ‘Tradição Umbu’, anteriormente proposto para entendimento da ocupação humana inicial das regiões Sudeste e Sul do Brasil e que ainda engloba o Uruguai e áreas adjacentes da Argentina e Paraguai, parte da hipótese... more
O modelo conhecido como ‘Tradição Umbu’, anteriormente proposto para entendimento da ocupação humana inicial das regiões Sudeste e Sul do Brasil e que ainda engloba o Uruguai e áreas adjacentes da Argentina e Paraguai, parte da hipótese de que todas as coleções arqueológicas desta área seriam culturalmente homogêneas. Essa suposta homogeneidade cultural levou à definição de uma única cultura arqueológica a partir da identificação de pontas líticas pedunculadas. No entanto poucos trabalhos buscaram testar essa hipótese. Partindo disso, o objetivo principal dessa pesquisa foi verificar a validade de tal hipótese a partir da análise das coleções líticas de sítios localizados na suposta área de abrangência da Tradição Umbu e que apresentam pontas pedunculadas através de um protocolo de análise tecnológica.
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O modelo anteriormente proposto para entendimento da ocupação humana inicial das regiões Sudeste e Sul do Brasil e que ainda engloba o Uruguai e áreas adjacentes da Argentina e Paraguai partiu da hipótese de que todas as coleções... more
O modelo anteriormente proposto para entendimento da ocupação humana inicial das regiões Sudeste e Sul do Brasil e que ainda engloba o Uruguai e áreas adjacentes da Argentina e Paraguai partiu da hipótese de que todas as coleções arqueológicas desta área seriam culturalmente homogêneas. Essa suposta homogeneidade cultural levou à criação da Tradição Umbu, uma cultura arqueológica definida pela presença de pontas líticas pedunculadas. No entanto, poucos trabalhos buscaram testar esta hipótese. O objetivo principal desta pesquisa foi verificar a validade do que denominamos de modelo Umbu, a partir da análise das coleções líticas de sítios localizados na suposta área de abrangência da Tradição Umbu e que apresentam pontas pedunculadas através de um protocolo de análise tecnológica proposto na tese. Para um melhor entendimento da evolução cultural da Tradição Umbu, ou das possíveis culturas arqueológicas englobadas sob a alcunha de Tradição Umbu, uma discussão teórica sobre evolução cultural, transmissão de conhecimento, cognição e tecnologia é apresentada no início da tese. Os resultados apresentados apontam para uma heterogeneidade tecnológica entre as indústrias líticas anteriormente associadas à Tradição Umbu e identifica três indústrias líticas contemporâneas que surgiram durante o período paleoíndio na área geográfica estudada: a indústria Rioclarense, no centro do Estado de São Paulo; a indústria Tunas, no leste do Estado do Paraná; e a indústria Garivaldinense, no centro-leste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. A principal conclusão da pesquisa é de que a Tradição Umbu não é um modelo válido para entendimento da ocupação inicial da área estudada, uma vez que a região apresenta diversidade cultural e que mais pesquisas devem ser feitas a fim de identificar mais culturas arqueológicas.
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Reinaldo José Lopes é jornalista científico, escreve para a Folha de São Paulo e é autor do blog 'Darwin e Deus'. A publicação de matérias de temas arqueológicos é muito frequente, e tornam o autor um dos maiores divulgadores do... more
Reinaldo José Lopes é jornalista científico, escreve para a Folha de São Paulo e é autor do blog 'Darwin e Deus'. A publicação de matérias de temas arqueológicos é muito frequente, e tornam o autor um dos maiores divulgadores do conhecimento arqueológico para o grande público a nível nacional, e '1499: O Brasil Antes de Cabral' é uma prova disso. O livro se propõe a realizar um apanhado geral da história pré-colonial do território atualmente conhecido como Brasil. O autor, no entanto, pouco escreve sobre as ocupações mais antigas que 14 mil anos atrás ou sobre o povoamento inicial da Américas, provavelmente para evitar ir de frente ao consenso da arqueologia norte-americana, começando a retratar a (pré-) história do Brasil a partir de 13.500 anos antes do presente. É importante notar que as idades mencionadas no livro são idades calibradas e podem dar a impressão de serem equivocadamente mais antigas do que costumamos ver em outras obras não acadêmicas, quando na verdade foram representadas de uma forma mais acurada.
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De acordo com os organizadores do livro, as universidades de Portugal usufruem muito de manuais de análise de vestígios líticos escritos em língua estrangeira. Isto se justifica pela falta destes manuais em língua portuguesa, e este livro... more
De acordo com os organizadores do livro, as universidades de Portugal usufruem muito
de manuais de análise de vestígios líticos escritos em língua estrangeira. Isto se justifica pela falta destes manuais em língua portuguesa, e este livro se apresenta com a pretensão de preencher esta lacuna. O livro é dividido em duas partes. A primeira parte trata de “metodologias”, e possui quatro capítulos; enquanto a segunda parte trata da “perspectiva diacrônica”, e possui três capítulos que realizam um apanhado geral das indústrias líticas Europeias.
de manuais de análise de vestígios líticos escritos em língua estrangeira. Isto se justifica pela falta destes manuais em língua portuguesa, e este livro se apresenta com a pretensão de preencher esta lacuna. O livro é dividido em duas partes. A primeira parte trata de “metodologias”, e possui quatro capítulos; enquanto a segunda parte trata da “perspectiva diacrônica”, e possui três capítulos que realizam um apanhado geral das indústrias líticas Europeias.
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Dissertação de mestrado defendida no Programa de Pós Graduação em Arqueologia (PPGArq) do Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MAE-USP). Pesquisa realizada com auxílio do Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos... more
Dissertação de mestrado defendida no Programa de Pós Graduação em Arqueologia (PPGArq) do Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MAE-USP). Pesquisa realizada com auxílio do Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos
Humanos (LEEH) do Instituto de Biociências (IB) da USP; do Instituto Anchietano de Pesquisas, Universidade do Rio dos
Sinos (IAP-UNISINOS); do Museu Arqueológico do Rio Grande do Sul (MARSUL); e da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento
de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).
Humanos (LEEH) do Instituto de Biociências (IB) da USP; do Instituto Anchietano de Pesquisas, Universidade do Rio dos
Sinos (IAP-UNISINOS); do Museu Arqueológico do Rio Grande do Sul (MARSUL); e da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento
de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).
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The book is the result of a Brazilian symposium which took place in 2007, entitled Lithic technology in Brazil. Theoretical foundations, problems and research perspectives. The symposium brought together some of the most important lithic... more
The book is the result of a Brazilian symposium which took place in 2007, entitled Lithic technology in Brazil. Theoretical foundations, problems and research perspectives. The symposium brought together some of the most important lithic studies researchers in Brazil at the time. Each researcher wrote a chapter concerning the aims of the symposium.
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The event took place from 3 till 8 July 2016 at Fazenda Monte Alto, Dourado, SP, Brazil. The aim of the course was to provide intensive knapping training in order to enhance analytical methods and procedures. This training was not only... more
The event took place from 3 till 8 July 2016 at Fazenda Monte Alto, Dourado, SP, Brazil. The aim of the course was to provide intensive knapping training in order to enhance analytical methods and procedures. This training was not only for students, but also professionals who were interested in the course. The course was given by Bruce Bradley (University of Exeter), who has extensive experience with Stone Age technologies and experimental archaeology. Mercedes Okumura (PPGArq, National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) and Astolfo G. M. Araujo (Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, University of São Paulo) organized the course, which was sponsored by Fazenda Monte Alto, Café Helena, and the British Academy, Newton Mobility Grants Scheme (NG140077). The workshop had 15 participants from Brazil, Uruguay, the Netherlands and Canada (Figure 1). Each day a new subject was covered. Starting the first day with a morning class about the basics of knapping-what was needed to control the fracturing of stones; what types of stones are useful for knapping (as core, blank or hammerstone) according to their features; the angles for hitting stone; and the force of impact. After the class students tried the basics out themselves on local raw materials-average to high quality silicified sandstone-using quartz pebbles as hammerstones. They worked in pairs so there was someone to help the knapper with the right movement and monitor safety precautions (which included wearing safety glasses and using pieces of leather). The first task was to produce flakes from a core by working from the farthest point to the middle of the platform (Figure 2) and to learn to predict knapping results-shape and size of the flake-before hitting the platform. Comparing predictions to results allowed students to see what happened and learn more about the behaviour of fracturing. Discussions also included the importance of cleaning the area after knapping so as not to create what someone might later believe is an archaeological site. It should be noted that the knapping area of the course was on a modern, man-made feature, with no archaeological sites in the vicinity.
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Neste trabalho pretende-se apresentar a abordagem das ciências cognitivas aplicada à arqueologia, e como esta pode servir como base para estudos que utilizam da cultura material para entender mais a fundo a cultura humana. Para isto será... more
Neste trabalho pretende-se apresentar a abordagem das ciências cognitivas aplicada à arqueologia, e como esta pode servir como base para estudos que utilizam da cultura material para entender mais a fundo a cultura humana. Para isto será apresentado um tipo específico de cultura material pré-histórica: os artefatos líticos. Trataremos então de analisar o material lítico proveniente de uma oficina lítica do centro-oeste brasileiro, o sítio arqueológico GO-CP-17, partindo também da abordagem tecnológica.
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Breve apresentação da arqueologia brasileira ao público leigo.
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Academic publishing is facing the growing problem of prohibitive costs of most commercial journals, resulting in limited access to recent research results and research dissemination being limited to large institutions. This particularly... more
Academic publishing is facing the growing problem of prohibitive costs of most commercial journals, resulting in limited access to recent research results and research dissemination being limited to large institutions. This particularly affects researchers and students at small institutions and independent researchers. Widespread access to the internet should allow open access journals to solve this problem yet obstacles remain.
We present a proposal for solutions, particularly the crowd-sourcing and collaborative, open access model used by Kvasir Publishing, through which we hope to gather regional academic publishers and local research institutions beneath the umbrella of one platform.
We present a proposal for solutions, particularly the crowd-sourcing and collaborative, open access model used by Kvasir Publishing, through which we hope to gather regional academic publishers and local research institutions beneath the umbrella of one platform.
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Academic publishing is facing the growing problem of prohibitive costs of most commercial journals, resulting in limited access to recent research results and research dissemination being limited to large institutions. This particularly... more
Academic publishing is facing the growing problem of prohibitive costs of most commercial journals, resulting in limited access to recent research results and research dissemination being limited to large institutions. This particularly affects researchers and students at small institutions and independent researchers. Widespread access to the internet should allow open access journals to solve this problem yet obstacles remain.
We present a proposal for solutions, particularly the crowd-sourcing and collaborative, open access model used by Kvasir Publishing, through which we hope to gather regional academic publishers and local research institutions beneath the umbrella of one platform.
We present a proposal for solutions, particularly the crowd-sourcing and collaborative, open access model used by Kvasir Publishing, through which we hope to gather regional academic publishers and local research institutions beneath the umbrella of one platform.
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Lagoa Santa recorded 12,500 years of non-continuous human occupation in cavities and open air sites. For the early-and middle Holocene occupations, lithic technology , zooarchaeology, osteological markers and multi-isotopic analyses... more
Lagoa Santa recorded 12,500 years of non-continuous human occupation in cavities and open air sites. For the early-and middle Holocene occupations, lithic technology , zooarchaeology, osteological markers and multi-isotopic analyses indicate groups of foragers with low mobility and a subsistence strategy focused on gathering plant foods and hunting small and mid-sized animals but no megafauna. A high frequency of caries is observed among women. Lithics include small flakes and cores of quartz. Artefacts like projectile points and axe blades occur marginally. Funerary rituals included primary burials (10.3–10.6 cal kyBP), reduction of the body followed by secondary burial (9.4–9.6 cal kyBP) and pits filled with disarticulated and fragmented bones of a single individual (8.2–8.6 cal kyBP). Rock art abounds, including the oldest securely dated case of South America (10.5 cal kyBP). Representations include animals, filiform anthropomorphs, geometric motifs, manioc’s tubers and semi-lunar axes. Similar styles are found over a large area of Brazil. Ancient DNA extracted from several early Holocene skeletons indicates they are entirely nested within past and present Native American genetic diversity. Pottery arrives during the late Holocene with undecorated vessels of varying sizes (0.2–417 L), tubular pipes, spindle whorls, highly polished axes and ritual semi-lunar axes (Aratu-Sapucaí-Una Tradition). In the site ‘Vereda III’, more than 3,000 in situ sherds indicate repeated use for ritual feasts centred on fermented beverages: (maize?). Polychrome pottery occurring in low frequency testify to the late presence of Tupi-speaking groups. During the colonial period, Lagoa Santa housed large haciendas for cattle and agriculture, resulting in the formation of large farms with thousands of enslaved people. Stub-stemmed earthenware pipes from the nineteenth century, an important element of African diasporic identities, were produced in the region.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Pottery (Archaeology), Neolithic Archaeology, and 11 morePhysical Anthropology, Migration Studies, Plant domestication (Prehistoric Archaeology), Bioanthropology, Arqueología, Arqueología histórica, Antropología, História, Pre-history, Bioantropologia, and First Americans
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A arqueologia experimental, ainda que aplicada de alguma maneira desde a década de 1970 no Brasil, ainda não se tornou uma área consolidada na Arqueologia Brasileira. Poucos dos trabalhos já realizados buscaram testar hipóteses sobre a... more
A arqueologia experimental, ainda que aplicada de alguma maneira desde a década de 1970 no Brasil, ainda não se tornou uma área consolidada na Arqueologia Brasileira. Poucos dos trabalhos já realizados buscaram testar hipóteses sobre a tecnologia de grupos caçadores-coletores, principalmente através da replicação sistemática dos artefatos. Este artigo foi pensado tendo como público alvo estudantes e profissionais da arqueologia brasileira, com o objetivo de apresentar: um breve histórico das origens da arqueologia experimental, seu discreto desenvolvimento no cenário nacional, a metodologia básica da abordagem, e a discussão da importância da abordagem para o estudo de grupos caçadores-coletores a partir de vários exemplos experimentais
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To accurately replicate highly complex, flaked stone artifacts using the same raw materials as the original artifacts is a challenge for any present-day flintknapper. Replication of individual bifacial points from a Bronze Age burial... more
To accurately replicate highly complex, flaked stone artifacts using the same raw materials as the original artifacts is a challenge for any present-day flintknapper. Replication of individual bifacial points from a Bronze Age burial mound in Wales led to further study of the artifacts. Integrating experimental replication, technological analysis, x-ray fluorescence, and geometric morphometry, we conducted a study of the bifacial points from the Breach Farm site. Results revealed two technological traditions; the technological details of the production sequences; possible use of a source of Greensand chert in France as raw material on both shores of the English Channel; no evidence of practical use or post-depositional damage; and the considerable expertise of the flintknapper(s). This study suggests contact across the English Channel involving people from Armorica (France) by trade or tribute, and it supports interpretations of production of these artifacts for mortuary contexts rather than functional use as arrowpoints.
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Lagoa Santa recorded ~12,500 years of non-continuous human occupation in cavities and open air sites. For the early- and middle Holocene occupations, lithic technology, zooarchaeology, osteological markers and multi-isotopic analyses... more
Lagoa Santa recorded ~12,500 years of non-continuous human occupation in cavities and open air sites. For the early- and middle Holocene occupations, lithic technology, zooarchaeology, osteological markers and multi-isotopic analyses indicate groups of foragers with low mobility and a subsistence strategy focused on gathering plant foods and hunting small and mid-sized animals but no megafauna. A high frequency of caries is observed among women. Lithics include small flakes and cores of quartz. Artefacts like projectile points and axe blades occur marginally. Funerary rituals included primary burials (10.3–10.6 cal kyBP), reduction of the body followed by secondary burial (9.4–9.6 cal kyBP) and pits filled with disarticulated and fragmented bones of a single individual (~8.2–8.6 cal kyBP). Rock art abounds, including the oldest securely dated case of South America (10.5 cal kyBP). Representations include animals, filiform anthropomorphs, geometric motifs, manioc’s tubers and semi-lunar axes. Similar styles are found over a large area of Brazil. Ancient DNA extracted from several early Holocene skeletons indicates they are entirely nested within past and present Native American genetic diversity. Pottery arrives during the late Holocene with undecorated vessels of varying sizes (0.2–417 L), tubular pipes, spindle whorls, highly polished axes and ritual semi-lunar axes (Aratu-Sapucai-Una Tradition). In the site ‘Vereda III’, more than 3,000 in situ sherds indicate repeated use for ritual feasts centred on fermented beverages: (maize?). Polychrome pottery occurring in low frequency testify to the late presence of Tupi-speaking groups. During the colonial period, Lagoa Santa housed large haciendas for cattle and agriculture, resulting in the formation of large farms with thousands of enslaved people. Stub-stemmed earthenware pipes from the nineteenth century, an important element of African diasporic identities, were produced in the region.
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Osteology, and 15 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Physical Anthropology, Migration Studies, Pleistocene, Bioanthropology, Arqueología, Pottery, Megafauna, Arqueología histórica, Holocene, Antropología, História, Bioantropologia, Pottery Archaeology, and First Americans
Most lithic industries associated with hunter-gatherergroups in Eastern South America, especially the ones with points present, date tothe Early Holocene, with some minor industries and lithic points typologiespersisting until the Middle... more
Most lithic industries associated with hunter-gatherergroups in Eastern South America, especially the ones with points present, date tothe Early Holocene, with some minor industries and lithic points typologiespersisting until the Middle Holocene and, more rarely, until the Late Holocene.This is the case for the Garivaldinense lithic industry associated pointstypologies. In this article we present the technological analysis of the pointsidentified at the Pororó site, located in central Rio Grande do Sul State,Brazil. The site is an artificial mound dated to around 2,500 BP. We applied anestablished protocol for analysis of stemmed points considering metric,morphological and technological features that allowed us to classify the artefactsin typologies. We identified two types of points associated to theGarivaldinense lithic industry: the Montenegro and Garivaldinense types. Wehave also identified a new type that has never been described before andproposed to refer to it as the Pororó...
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In this article we present the results of a series of analysis performed on a lithic artifact from the Itaparica industry, a limace, found in Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu, an archaeological site bordering the Lagoa Santa area in Central... more
In this article we present the results of a series of analysis performed on a lithic artifact from the Itaparica industry, a limace, found in Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu, an archaeological site bordering the Lagoa Santa area in Central Brazil. The site was occupied between 11.477 ± 133 cal. BP and 1.087 ±78 cal. BP, and the archaeological record for this occupation is related to the archaeological Lagoa Santa Tradition. However, the artifact was found in deeper and relative older archaeological levels, in a different stratigraphy context. The technological analysis confirms its exotic nature, not corresponding to the Lagoa Santa industry, but to another Paleoindian archaeological tradition instead. Its technological features are similar to the limaces related to Itaparica Tradition lithic industries. It’s important to notice that this is the only limace found at Lagoa Santa until now, and archaeological context did not allow us to associate it to the Lagoa Santa Tradition. In order to ...
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The event took place from 3 till 8 July 2016 at Fazenda Monte Alto, Dourado, SP, Brazil. The aim of the course was to provide intensive knapping training in order to enhance analytical methods and procedures. This training was not only... more
The event took place from 3 till 8 July 2016 at Fazenda Monte Alto, Dourado, SP, Brazil. The aim of the course was to provide intensive knapping training in order to enhance analytical methods and procedures. This training was not only for students, but also professionals who were interested in the course. The course was given by Bruce Bradley (University of Exeter), who has extensive experience with Stone Age technologies and experimental archaeology. Mercedes Okumura (PPGArq, National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) and Astolfo G. M. Araujo (Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, University of São Paulo) organized the course, which was sponsored by Fazenda Monte Alto, Café Helena, and the British Academy, Newton Mobility Grants Scheme (NG140077). The workshop had 15 participants from Brazil, Uruguay, the Netherlands and Canada.
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Research Interests: American Studies, Archaeology, Anthropology, Archaeological Soil Micromorphology, Anthropology of Death, and 15 moreArchaeology of Ritual and Magic, Archeologia, Archaeology of Ritual, Antiquity, Archaeology of burials, Antropología cultural, Antropología Social, Antropología, Archaeology of death and burial, Archéologie, Anthropology of Lowland South America, Archaeological Fire Structures Studies, Archeologia Funeraria, Archéologie funéraire, and Archeology
Abstract The lack of a standard protocol for analyzing and comparing multiple assemblages of lithic artifacts has hindered the advance of a better understanding of the cultural diversity associated to prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups.... more
Abstract The lack of a standard protocol for analyzing and comparing multiple assemblages of lithic artifacts has hindered the advance of a better understanding of the cultural diversity associated to prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. This was the case of Brazilian archaeologists that for many decades associated lithic stemmed point assemblages to a cultural entity known as “Umbu Tradition”. However, most associations of assemblages to this “tradition” have been made regardless of the type of lithic points, as well as ignoring other elements related to the lithic industry, settlement patterns, among others. As a result, since the 1980s, several studies have been questioning the validity of such Tradition. Recent research has proposed new definitions for the previously associated Umbu Tradition lithic industries based on the stemmed points typology. However, no raw data on the technological analysis of such points have ever been presented. This article proposes a protocol for the technological study of lithic points that allows the application of descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis to verify if these types present or not significant differences. We present new data on the technological analysis of 501 lithic points from sites located in the supposed Umbu Tradition coverage area and period, as well two new Early Holocene C14 dates for one of the studied sites (Caetetuba site). Our results corroborate previous propositions of discarding Umbu Tradition as a valid cultural entity, as well as new typologies for the points. We also show that our protocol is suitable to unravel potential cultural patterns regarding many attributes in lithic points as well as to explore if there are significant differences among previously defined types.
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Most lithic industries associated with hunter-gatherer groups in Eastern South America, especially the ones with points present, date to the Early Holocene, with some minor industries and lithic points typologies persisting until the... more
Most lithic industries associated with hunter-gatherer groups in Eastern South America, especially the ones with points present, date to the Early Holocene, with some minor industries and lithic points typologies persisting until the Middle Holocene and, more rarely, until the Late Holocene. This is the case for the Garivaldinense lithic industry associated points typologies. In this article we present the technological analysis of the points identified at the Pororó site, located in central Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The site is an artificial mound dated to around 2,500 BP. We applied an established protocol for analysis of stemmed points considering metric, morphological and technological features that allowed us to classify the artefacts in typologies. We identified two types of points associated to the Garivaldinense lithic industry: the Montenegro and Garivaldinense types. We have also identified a new type that has never been described before and proposed to refer to it as the Pororó type. At least one Pay Paso point was identified at the site, although this type of point is not yet known at other sites of this region and chronology. The results indicate persistence of the Garivaldinense Culture from the Early to Late Holocene, as well as technological innovation during the Late Holocene.
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O livro se propõe a realizar um apanhado geral da história pré-colonial do território atualmente conhecido como Brasil. O autor, no entanto, pouco escreve sobre as ocupações mais antigas que 14 mil anos atrás ou sobre o povoamento inicial... more
O livro se propõe a realizar um apanhado geral da história pré-colonial do território atualmente conhecido como Brasil. O autor, no entanto, pouco escreve sobre as ocupações mais antigas que 14 mil anos atrás ou sobre o povoamento inicial da Américas, provavelmente para evitar ir de frente ao consenso da arqueologia norte-americana, começando a retratar a (pré-) história do Brasil a partir de 13.500 anos antes do presente. É importante notar que as idades mencionadas no livro são idades calibradas e podem dar a impressão de serem equivocadamente mais antigas do que costumamos ver em outras obras não acadêmicas, quando na verdade foram representadas de uma forma mais acurada.
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Organizar uma coletânea de artigos sobre estudos líticos em língua portuguesa não parece, a princípio, uma tarefa desafiadora. Afinal, Portugal já tem uma tradição de décadas de pesquisas no tema, as quais também têm aumentado no Brasil... more
Organizar uma coletânea de artigos sobre estudos líticos em língua portuguesa não parece, a princípio, uma tarefa desafiadora. Afinal, Portugal já tem uma tradição de décadas de pesquisas no tema, as quais também têm aumentado no Brasil nos últimos anos. Logo, era de se esperar que a maioria dos artigos publicados nesta edição fossem provenientes destes dois países. O desafio está em incluir artigos sobre pesquisas realizadas em outros países lusófonos, pois estes possuem poucas ou nenhuma instituição de pesquisas arqueológicas. E dos estudos realizados sobre as indústrias líticas nestes países, a maioria é realizada por pesquisadores vindos da América do Norte ou da Europa, em especial os próprios arqueólogos portugueses.