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RESUMOEste artigo apresenta a análise da dispensa dos estudos etnoarqueológicos colaborativos no âmbito do licenciamento ambiental da Usina Hidrelétrica Teles Pires e quais as implicações dessa decisão para a proteção do patrimônio arqueológico. Considerando que, na arqueologia, o caráter patrimonial dos conjuntos materiais está intrinsecamente ligado à sua apropriação e fruição pelas comunidades locais -e disso depende a proteção aos contextos arqueológicos -, a decisão expôs os sítios da região aos impactos decorrentes da implantação do empreendimento e abriu um precedente que pode ser desastroso para os povos -e para a conservação do patrimônio culturalafetados por grandes obras de infraestrutura em territórios tradicionalmente ocupados. Palavras-chave: Arqueologia da Bacia do Rio Tapajós; Gestão do Patrimônio Arqueológico; Etnoarqueologia Colaborativa ABSTRACT This article presents an analysis of the waiver of collaborative ethnoarchaeological studies in the environmental licensing of Teles Pires Hydroelectric Dam and what this decision entails for archaeological heritage protection. Considering that, in archaeology, the assignment of heritage values to material assemblages depends on the development and fruition of ideas about artifacts and places by local communities -and that protection to archaeological contexts depends on this -, this decision exposed the archaeological sites of the region to impacts which were caused by the installment of the dam and opened a precedent that could be disastrous for people who are affected by infrastructure works in traditionally occupied territories and the conservation of their cultural heritage.

Archaeological research provides clear evidence that the widespread formation of Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) in tropical lowland South America was concentrated in the Late Holocene, an outcome of sharp demographic growth that peaked towards 1000 BP. In their recent paper, however, Silva et al. propose that the high fertility of ADE is not of anthropic origin but instead the result of alluvial deposition starting in the Middle Holocene (8200-4200 cal BP). In order to support this argument, they marshal data and observations from a single expanse of ADE, the archaeological site of Caldeirão, and disregard or misread other studies of ADEs in the Central Amazon region. Silva et al.'s claim, an epilogue to ‘geogenic’ models laid to rest over 40 years ago, also dismisses research showing how long-term anthropic soil enrichment occurs as a result of daily practices at contemporary indigenous settlements. Here we critically review Silva et al.’s analysis and affirm that, like most ADEs, Caldeirão has anthropic soil horizons formed by burning, deposition, and reworking of refuse associated with indigenous settlement activities between 2500 and 500 BP.