Rainforest Archaeology

"Sur l'ensemble des sites fouillés, trois ont fourni
des restes osseux. Cette première mise au jour d'ossements
sur des implantations de plein air amazoniennes, dans des
sols acides, réputés peu propices à la conservation de l'os,
présente un intérêt scientifique important pour la connaissance
des comportements humains."

From the onset of archaeological research in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) in 1939, there have been only 2 investigations within the deep interior equatorial rainforest of the island. These were at the sites of Nanga Balang and Diang Kaung, both in the upper Kapuas drainage basin in the geographical centre of Borneo. Both sites were dated to c. 3000 BP by the previous researchers. In this report, preliminary results of new excavations carried out at the rock-shelter complexes of Diang Kaung and Diang Balu are reported. AMS radiocarbon dating of 12 charcoal samples from the two sites indicates two main periods of human activity, one being 15 to 11 cal. ka, with a second spanning the recent past from 1500 to 150 BP. Taken together, these dates confirm the intermittent existence of human occupation of the deep interior equatorial rainforest of Borneo through at least 15,000 years.

Australian Aboriginal rainforest dendroglyphs are a rare and enigmatic cultural resource. Only twenty-three individual rainforest carved trees have been recorded, all in remote parts of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area which are rarely visited. The Western Yalanji dendroglyph is a near life size male anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figure carved into the trunk of a yellow walnut (Beilschmedia bancroftii) five metres above ground level on the Windsor Tableland, in the Western Yalanji estate. The Yalanji dendroglyph is a reminder of the vulnerability of rainforest dendroglyphs to natural processes. Inspections in 2015 identified significant fungal rot in the tree and by 2018 the tree had fallen. This paper documents the history, death and replication of the Yalanji dendroglyph by Western Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation.

Resumo Neste trabalho apresentamos a distribuição do registro arqueológico produzido pelos horticultores amazônicos, englobados dentro da unidade arqueológica Guarani, na província de Misiones. Se avalia sua distribuição em função das condições ambientais e os processos co-evolutivos ou de construção do nicho ecológico guarani. Os registros dessa unidade são observados em todo território provincial, no entanto, as maiores densidades de vestígios e a identificação de grandes sítios arqueológicos se encontram no estrato ecológico da Selva Paranaense, concentrados especialmente abaixo dos 300 msnm e associados com as áreas mais próximas aos rios Paraná e Uruguai. Esta distribuição parece ser resultado da seleção e consequente modificação de paisagens onde se articulam condições agronômicas estáveis e previsíveis, solos mais aptos para a agricultura de roça e queima, maior densidade e riqueza de fauna, facilidade para o transporte de cargas e para a comunicação fluvial. Esta distribuição populacional também pode ter sido influenciada de maneira concorrente pela presença de outros grupos horticultores que ocuparam a área da Serra Central. O processo de ocupação de Misiones por parte destes grupos parece reproduzir um esquema similar de colonização conduzido em diferentes setores do sudeste da América do Sul por parte desta metapopulação. Abstract In this paper we present the known distribution of the archaeological record generated by Amazonian horticulturalists, included within the Guaraní archaeological unit, in the province of Misiones, Argentina. Its distribution is evaluated according to the environmental risk conditions and the ecological niche construction. It is observed that, although there are Guaraní materials throughout the provincial territory, the greatest densities of finds and the identification of great archaeological sites from this unit occur in the ecological stratum of the Paranaense jungle below 300 masl, and are associated with the areas closest to the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. This distribution seems to be the result of the selection of landscapes where stable and predictable agronomic conditions are articulated, including soils more suitable for slash and burn agriculture, as well as greater richness, predictability and fauna density, and convenience for cargo transportation and fluvial communication. This population distribution may also have been

Resumo: Neste trabalho documentamos as gravuras do sítio Campo Yabebirí, localizado na margem direita do rio homônimo, no Departamento de São Inácio, província de Misiones (Argentina). O conjunto constitui, até o momento, o único registro publicado de gravuras rupestres existentes nesta província, cujos desenhos se constituem em círculos e linhas estilisticamente vinculados com outros conjuntos descritos especialmente no sul do Brasil. Palavras-chave: Arte rupestre. Província de Misiones. Brasil. Gravuras. Abstract: In this study, we document the engravings of Campo Yabebirí, located on the right bank of the Yabebirí River, in the Department of San Ignacio, province of Misiones (Argentina). The petroglyphs are so far the only record of rock art encountered in this province. The main designs are circles and abstract figures, stylistically linked to other rock art figures described in southern Brazil.