O sítio Jabuti, em Bragança, Pará, no cenário arqueológico do litoral amazônico

Abstract

Resumo: Quarenta anos após a conclusão do Projeto Salgado, no nordeste paraense, arqueólogos retomam pesquisas na região, investigando questões relacionadas a ocupações humanas pré-coloniais do litoral. São apresentados os primeiros resultados da pesquisa no sítio arqueológico Jabuti, localizado no município de Bragança (PA), na Reserva Extrativista Marinha Caeté-Taperuçu. Trata-se de um sítio cerâmico, a céu aberto, do tipo habitação, com manchas de terra preta arqueológica. O material coletado constitui-se, principalmente, de fragmentos de cerâmica, alguns líticos lascados e corantes. A datação única C14 obtida indica que o sítio foi ocupado há pelo menos 2.900 anos BP. Interessante notar que, segundo esta datação, a ocupação ocorreu no segundo momento do modelo estabelecido por Pedro Walfir Martins Souza Filho e colaboradores, em artigo publicado em 2009, sobre a evolução geológica da zona bragantina do litoral do Salgado, ou seja, o sítio estava situado na maior ilha de terra, próximo ao continente. As características observadas no material cerâmico desse sítio remetem à tradição cerâmica Mina. Inicialmente, duas hipóteses são levantadas: 1) a ocorrência de cerâmica Mina neste tipo de sítio arqueológico pode indicar alguma forma de contato entre grupos sambaquieiros e outros grupos ceramistas; ou, ainda, 2) uma mudança na economia e no modo de vida dos grupos sambaquieiros em direção ao cultivo. Palavras-chave:Arqueologia. Litoral amazônico. Terra Preta Arqueológica. Grupos ceramistas. Cerâmica Mina. Sambaqui.Abstract: Forty years after completing the archaeological investigations in the Salgado region, northeastern Pará, researchers have returned to the site to study prehistoric human occupations in the northern coastal regions of Brazil near the Amazon estuary. This article presents the first results of archaeological research at the site Jabuti, located in the Caeté-Taperuçu Marine Extractive Reserve in the municipality of Bragança. This is an open-air residential site with anthropogenic dark earths ('terra preta de índio') and ceramic remains. The archeological remains consist mostly of fragments of pottery, as well as some flaked stone tools and dye residues. The sole C14 date obtained indicates that the site was occupied at least 2,900 years BP. According to this timing, the occupation occurred in the second stage of the model established by Pedro Walfir Martins Souza Filho and collaborators, in a paper published in 2009, for the geological evolution of the Bragança zone along the Salgado coast. Thus the site was situated on the largest soil-bearing island near the mainland. The ceramic material of this site belongs to the Mina tradition. Initially two hypotheses are proposed: 1) the Mina pottery indicates contact between shell midden groups and other ceramic-making groups, or 2) shell midden groups have begun a shift in their subsistence pattern towards cultivation.

Chemical and physical properties of an anthropogenic dark earth soil from Bragança, Para, Eastern Amazon

“…This region is located in the high plains of Bragantina Peninsula, overlying sedimentary rocks from Barreiras geological formation. More details about the site description can be found in Silveira et al (2011). The climate is classified as Aw according to Köppen classification, with a mean annual temperature and precipitation of 25 ºC and 2,500 to 3,000 mm, respectively, a dry season from August to December, and a rainy season from January to July, when over 90% of total annual precipitation occurs (Moraes et al 2005).…”

“…The Jabuti site was registered in 2008 as a ceramic archaeological site, housing type, with fragments of ceramic in surface and depth (Silveira et al 2011). Archaeological materials in the area are mainly composed by ceramic fragments, lytic artefacts chipped, charcoal, seeds, animal bones and shells; dating analysis indicates that the site was occupied for at least 2,900 years before present (Silveira et al 2011).…”

“…Archaeological materials in the area are mainly composed by ceramic fragments, lytic artefacts chipped, charcoal, seeds, animal bones and shells; dating analysis indicates that the site was occupied for at least 2,900 years before present (Silveira et al 2011). Currently, the vegetation consists of secondary forests with a large number of palm trees, particularly the species Maximiliana regia and Orbignya oleífera.…”

“…From these data three areas were selected for sampling: two within the site (ADE 1 and 2) and an adjacent to the site (ADJ), considered as a control (Silveira et al 2011). Ten undisturbed samples were collected every 1 m in a 10 m transect, using metallic rings of 0.05 m diameter and height, at a soil depth of 0.05-0.10 m. To decrease biological activity, samples were then stored at 4º C until laboratory analysis.…”

Pre-historic production of ceramics in the Amazon: Provenience, raw materials, and firing temperatures

“…Studies of anthropogenic soils, especially Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) are far more numerous (Costa and Kern, 1999;Costa et al, 2013;Glaser et al, 2001;Kern and Kämpf, 1989;Lehmann et al, 2003;Lemos et al, 2011;Lima et al, 2002;Mescouto et al, 2011;Schmidt et al, 2014;Silveira et al, 2011;Smith, 1980;Woods et al, 2009). Given these shortcomings, the present study investigated the production of archeological ceramics in the Amazon, with regard to the origin of raw materials (clay and non-plastic materials), the manufacturing processes, and firing temperatures through the chemical and mineralogical characterization of samples from different sites, in order to evaluate the potential technological variation in the productive process in distinct pottery-making populations, providing new insights into the complexity of the prehistoric occupation of the Amazon.…”