Papers by marta cavallini
Rock Art Research in the Digital Era Case Studies from the 20th International Rock Art Congress IFRAO 2018, Valcamonica (Italy), 2022
Among the known petroglyph sites in the Brazilian Amazon, very few are located in
rock shelters,... more Among the known petroglyph sites in the Brazilian Amazon, very few are located in
rock shelters, where the preservation of archaeological layers offers greater chances for rockart contextualization and dating. Since 2008, one such case has been investigated,
the Arara Vermelha site, in the Roraima State. Though still in its incipient stage, our research has produced radiocarbon dates for the human occupation of the shelter beginning from the Early Holocene.
This chapter focuses on these preliminary results and their implications for future investigations regarding petroglyph dating and contextual understanding amidst Amazonian rock art.
Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa voltada à contextualização arqueológica do ... more Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa voltada à contextualização arqueológica do fenômeno da confecção das gravuras rupestres pré-coloniais na bacia do baixo rio Urubu (Estado do Amazonas). Com o objetivo de caracterizar o registro rupestre regional, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa intensiva no sítio AM-IT-31 Caretas, portador da maior densidade e variabilidade formal de arte rupestre da área de estudo. O sítio foi abordado a partir do controle espacial dos petróglifos e dos demais vestígios arqueológicos. Sua documentação foi realizada de forma integral e sistemática e foi organizada em um banco de dados relacional, possibilitando a articulação entre diferentes classes de evidências. Para caracterizar a arte rupestre do ponto de vista de sua inserção na paisagem arqueológica, foi investigada a relação crono-cultural com o sítio cerâmico em matriz de terra preta AM-IT-30 Pedra Chata, espacialmente associado. A cronologia das gravuras foi relacionada à dinâmica de sedim...
irst described over 120 years ago in Brazil, Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are expanses of dark so... more irst described over 120 years ago in Brazil, Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are expanses of dark soil that are exceptionally fertile and contain large quantities of archaeological artefacts. The elevated fertility of the dark and often deep A horizon of ADEs is widely regarded as an outcome of pre-Columbian human influence 1. Archaeological research provides clear evidence that their widespread formation in lowland South America was concentrated in the Late Holocene, an outcome of sharp human population growth that peaked towards 1000 BP 2-4. In their recent paper Silva et al. 5 argue that the higher fertility of ADEs is principally a result of fluvial deposition and, as a corollary, that pre-Columbian peoples just made use of these locales, contributing little to their enhanced nutrient status. Soil formation is inherently complex and often difficult to interpret, requiring a combination of geochemical data, stratigraphy, and dating. Although Silva et al. use this combination of methods to make their case 5 , their hypothesis, based on the analysis of a single ADE site and its immediate surroundings (Caldeirão, see maps in Silva et al. 5), is too limited to distinguish among the multiple possible mechanisms for ADE formation. Moreover, it disregards or misreads a wealth of evidence produced by archaeologists, soil scientists, geographers and anthropologists, showing that ADEs are anthropic soils formed on land surfaces enriched by inputs associated with pre-Columbian sedentary settlement 6-9. To be accepted, and be pertinent at a regional level, Silva et al.'s hypothesis 5 would need to be supported by solid evidence (from numerous ADE sites), which we demonstrate is lacking. Geomorphological and pedological considerations There are several problems with reviving the argument 10 that ADE fertility originates from deposited alluvium. First, the Caldeirão ADE site is located on a Miocene plateau~20 m above the Solimões River floodplain (~40 m asl), which in itself precludes significant flooding during the Holocene 11. Second,
This thesis presents the results of research seeking to archaeologically contextualize the precol... more This thesis presents the results of research seeking to archaeologically contextualize the precolonial production of engraved rock art in the Lower Urubu River drainage (Amazonas State, Brazil). With the objective of characterizing the rock art of this region, I carried out an intensive research project at the site AM-IT-31 Caretas, which has the highest density and formal variability of rock art in the entire area. Spatial control of both the petroglyphs and other archaeological remains at the site was established to permit their complete and systematic documentation. The records were organized in a relational database, allowing for the analysis of the relationships between different sets of evidence. In order to characterize the placement of rock art within the archaeological landscape, I studied its chronological and cultural relationships with the adjoining archaeological site AM-IT-30 Pedra Chata where ceramics occur in a matrix of "dark earth". The chronology of the engravings has been correlated to the fluvial dynamics. Thanks to three dates a minimum age has been proposed for the petroglyphs and a paleoenviromental model suggests their maximum age. Preliminary results point to site formation during the late Holocene in synchrony with ceramic period occupations. The analysis of petroglyphs indicates some homogeneity in regard to themes and graphic representation. This suggest a internal consistency in design despite some formal variability.
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Papers by marta cavallini
rock shelters, where the preservation of archaeological layers offers greater chances for rockart contextualization and dating. Since 2008, one such case has been investigated,
the Arara Vermelha site, in the Roraima State. Though still in its incipient stage, our research has produced radiocarbon dates for the human occupation of the shelter beginning from the Early Holocene.
This chapter focuses on these preliminary results and their implications for future investigations regarding petroglyph dating and contextual understanding amidst Amazonian rock art.
rock shelters, where the preservation of archaeological layers offers greater chances for rockart contextualization and dating. Since 2008, one such case has been investigated,
the Arara Vermelha site, in the Roraima State. Though still in its incipient stage, our research has produced radiocarbon dates for the human occupation of the shelter beginning from the Early Holocene.
This chapter focuses on these preliminary results and their implications for future investigations regarding petroglyph dating and contextual understanding amidst Amazonian rock art.