Articles in peer-reviewed journals / Book chapters by Ximena Suarez Villagran
Plos One, 2024
Brazilian coastal archaeology is renowned for its numerous and large shellmounds (sambaquis), whi... more Brazilian coastal archaeology is renowned for its numerous and large shellmounds (sambaquis), which had been continuously occupied from at least 8000 to 1000 years cal BP. However, changes in their structure and material culture in the late Holocene have led to different hypotheses concerning their ecological and cultural changes. The archaeological site Galheta IV (ca. 1300 to 500 years cal BP) offers new insights into the complexity of the late coastal occupation in southern Brazil. Our attempt was to determine whether Galheta IV can be classified as a sambaqui site, or if it belongs to a Southern proto-Jê settlement. Here, we reassessed Galheta's collections and applied a multi-proxy approach using: new 14 C dates, zooarchaeology, δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotopes in bulk collagen and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr enamel isotopic ratios from eight human individuals, ceramics analysis, and FTIR. The results indicate an intense exploitation of marine resources, with an area designated for processing animals located at the opposite side of the funerary areas. Bone tools and specific species of animals were found as burial accompaniments. No evidence of human cremations was detected. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr results indicate that the eight human individuals always lived on the coast, and did not come from the inland. The pottery analysis confirms the association with Itararé-Taquara, but contrary to what was assumed by previous studies, the pottery seems related to other coastal sites, and not to the highlands. In light of these findings, we propose that Galheta IV can be considered a funerary mound resulting from long and continuous interactions between shellmound and Southern proto-Jê populations. This study not only enhances our understanding of the late coastal occupation dynamics in southern Brazil but also underscores its importance in reshaping current interpretations of shellmound cultural changes over time.
Nature. Ecology and Evolution, 2023
Sambaqui (shellmound) societies are among the most intriguing archaeological phenomena in pre-col... more Sambaqui (shellmound) societies are among the most intriguing archaeological phenomena in pre-colonial South America, extending from approximately 8,000 to 1,000 years before present (yr bp) across 3,000 km on the Atlantic coast. However, little is known about their connection to early Holocene hunter-gatherers, how this may have contributed to different historical pathways and the processes through which late Holocene ceramists came to rule the coast shortly before European contact. To contribute to our understanding of the population history of indigenous societies on the eastern coast of South America, we produced genome-wide data from 34 ancient individuals as early as 10,000 yr bp from four different regions in Brazil. Early Holocene hunter-gatherers were found to lack shared genetic drift among themselves and with later populations from eastern South America, suggesting that they derived from a common radiation and did not contribute substantially to later coastal groups. Our analyses show genetic heterogeneity among contemporaneous Sambaqui groups from the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast, contrary to the similarity expressed in the archaeological record. The complex history of intercultural contact between inland horticulturists and coastal populations becomes genetically evident during the final horizon of Sambaqui societies, from around 2,200 yr bp, corroborating evidence of cultural change. The settlement of the Atlantic coast by maritime societies is a central topic in South American archaeology. Across ~3,000 km of the coast of Brazil, semi-sedentary populations, with seemingly large demography, produced thousands of shellmounds and shell middens, locally known as sambaquis (heaps of shell, in the Tupi language), for over 7,000 years. Subsistence was based on a mixed economy, combining aquatic resources and plants, complemented by hunting of terrestrial mammals and horticulture 1-8. Sambaquis are the product of planned and long-term deposition of shells, fish remains, plants, artefacts, combustion debris and local sediments, and they were used as territorial markers, dwellings, cemeteries and/or ceremonial sites. On the southern Brazilian coast, funerary shellmounds can reach monumental heights (of up to 30 metres) and often contain hundreds of human burials, suggesting a high demographic density unparalleled in the South American lowlands 3,6,9-11. In a singular enclave south of São Paulo State, further inland from the coast (Vale do Ribeira de Iguape), sambaqui sites are within the Atlantic Forest 12-15. Here there is evidence of early Holocene settlement in the riverine sambaqui of Capelinha, as revealed by a male individual directly dated to ~10,400 years before present (yr bp) (we identify all analysed individuals by rounding the mean calibrated age in years bp) 10. This individual was named 'Luzio', as a reference to 'Luzia', a final Pleistocene female skeleton found in the Lagoa Santa region in east-central Brazil 10,16,17. Both individuals are at the centre of long-lasting debates for exhibiting the so-called paleoamerican cranial morphology that differs from that of present-day indigenous peoples 10,18. The earliest evidence of human settlement on the Atlantic coast starts between ~8,700 and 7,000 yr bp with an intensification of sambaqui construction between 5,500 yr bp and 2,200 yr bp 2,4,6,19. The relationship between riverine and coastal sambaquis is still a matter of debate, although bioarchaeological studies point towards a biological link 20-23 , and some researchers suggest a late Pleistocene/early Holocene cultural connection that faded through time 24-27 .
Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goledi. Ciências Humanas, 2022
Resumo: Este artigo apresenta os resultados da análise petrográfica realizada em 22 fragmentos de... more Resumo: Este artigo apresenta os resultados da análise petrográfica realizada em 22 fragmentos de cerâmicas provenientes da fase Bacabal, do sambaqui Monte Castelo (Rondônia), uma das cerâmicas mais antigas da Amazônia, datada de mais de 4.000 anos AP. A análise petrográfica confirmou a alta frequência de espículas de espongiários dulcícolas (cauixi) como antiplástico, com dados inéditos sobre a distribuição das espículas, que permitem inferir o processo de preparação da pasta cerâmica e de manufatura do vasilhame. A mesma proporção entre matriz argilosa e cauixi foi detectada ao longo de todas as camadas Bacabal, independente de variações individuais para cada elemento. Isso permite supor a existência de uma receita de cerâmica mantida ao longo da ocupação Bacabal do sítio. O mesmo tipo de cauixi descrito na pasta cerâmica foi identificado em sedimentos argilosos prospectados na região, embora em frequência menor. Assim, a fabricação das cerâmicas Bacabal poderia ter envolvido uma combinação entre: seleção de argilas naturalmente ricas em espículas e cauixi adicionado intencionalmente. O cauixi na fase Bacabal representa um caso excepcional para a investigação sobre o desenvolvimento de tecnologias cerâmicas, sustentadas pela utilização desses antiplásticos, que se tornaram populares durante o Holoceno Superior nas terras baixas da América do Sul.
Archaeometry, 2024
Archaeometry had a slow start in the study of Amazonian and Caribbean ceramics, practiced almost ... more Archaeometry had a slow start in the study of Amazonian and Caribbean ceramics, practiced almost exclusively by professionals outside of the archaeology discipline, primarily geologists, physicists and chemists, but is now slowly gaining track among archaeologists. In this paper, we summarize the archaeometric research done in the last thirty years in ceramics from the Amazon and Caribbean regions, emphasizing its main questions, aims and future developments for archaeometry in Latin America. Archaeometric studies are a growing field of research and improve understanding of past networks, technological knowledge and cultural traditions.
Geoarchaeology, 2021
The rework of daily refuse, including large quantities of faunal remains, is a common explanation... more The rework of daily refuse, including large quantities of faunal remains, is a common explanation for earthen mound construction in the Uruguayan lowlands, which started about 5000 years ago. While some earthen mounds contain human and animal bones in high abundance, several others contain only a few fragments.
Early inhabitants along the hyperarid coastal Atacama Desert in northern Chile developed resilien... more Early inhabitants along the hyperarid coastal Atacama Desert in northern Chile developed resilience strategies over 12,000 years, allowing these communities to effectively adapt to this extreme environment, including the impact of giant earthquakes and tsunamis. Here, we provide geoarchaeological evidence revealing a major tsunamigenic earthquake that severely affected prehistoric hunter-gatherer-fisher communities ~3800 years ago, causing an exceptional social disruption reflected in contemporary changes in archaeological sites and triggering resilient strategies along these coasts. Together with tsunami modeling results, we suggest that this event resulted from a ~1000-km-long megathrust rupture along the subduction contact of the Nazca and South American plates, highlighting the possibility of M w ~9.5 tsunamigenic earthquakes in northern Chile, one of the major seismic gaps of the planet. This emphasizes the necessity to account for long temporal scales to better understand the variability, social effects, and human responses favoring resilience to socionatural disasters.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2019
X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans were conducted on impregnated sediment blocks fr... more X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans were conducted on impregnated sediment blocks from the early Holocene rockshelter site of Lapa do Santo, East-Central Brazil. The analysis was designed to investigate the presence of termite mound fragments in the archaeological sediments and test the value of complementary techniques in micromorphological studies. Soil feeding termites have been common in the tropical soils of Central Brazil since the Paleogene/Neogene and exist in high concentrations in the surroundings of Lapa do Santo. The micro-CT scans revealed a distinctive spongy microstructure inside some of the clay aggregates in the sediments that are not visible in thin section, matching the spongy microstructure inside termite mound fragments. The microstructure consists of a mix of clay and organic material (feces, saliva and other body fluids) produced by termites to cement the mounds' matrix. The cements are undistinguishable from the matrix under the microscope, but clearly visible in the micro-CT scans given the low attenuation coefficient of organo-mineral matter. The termite mound fragments appear dispersed within the ashy matrix (made of intact and reworked combustion features), suggesting their possible use in earth ovens. The combination of combustion features and reworked earth ovens attests to the complex input of anthropogenic sediments in the formation of Lapa do Santo. This study demonstrates that micro-CT can potentially disclose materials not visible in thin section and can be utilized as a complementary technique to micromorphology.
Lagoa Santa Karst: Brazil’s Iconic Karst Region, 2020
Lagoa Santa recorded 12,500 years of non-continuous human occupation in cavities and open air sit... 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.
Few geoarchaeological studies have been conducted in the Antarctic continent. This paper contains... more Few geoarchaeological studies have been conducted in the Antarctic continent. This paper contains the first results of the geoarchaeological research done in two sealing sites dated from the 19th century, located in Byers Peninsula, South Shetland Islands (Antarctica). The research is part of a wider international project that aims at understanding the daily practices of the first anonymous occupants of Antarctica, and the insertion of the continent into the world system. The geoarchaeological study focuses on site formation analyses to provide new data on site function, use of local resources, length of occupation and taphonomy. With this approach, data not attainable through artefact or documentary analyses is provided. The studied sites are Sealer 3 and Sealer 4, two sealing shelters built with piled up boulders on rocky outcrops on the south Beaches of Livingston Island. Two major precincts and annexes were studied by means of multi-element chemical analyses, micromorphology and organic petrology. Although local lithology and cryogenic processes are dominant in the chemical and micromorphological records, respectively, important distinctions could be made, especially on the behavior associated with pyrotechnology and the use of local resources for survival. The effects of humans on the sediments are expressed by higher P 2 O 5 , CaO and total C concentrations. This is related with the use of seal bones, fat and herbaceous tissue as fuel for the hearths. Shelters with more intense occupation could be differentiated from single-activity sites. Differences are attributed to habitation shelters vs. working spaces for fat processing.
Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered in the early nineteenth century. In order to b... more Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered in the early nineteenth century. In order to become acquainted with the process of incorporation of Antarctica to the scope of the capitalist system we have focused on particularity: i.e., specific economic and technological and ideological aspects of everyday life in sealer camps spread along the coastline of the South Shetland Islands. Archaeological research in Byers Peninsula-Livingston Island provides an approach to the mechanisms implemented to organize the first resource exploitation in these lands.
Desde a década de 1990 até o ano de 2012 mais de cento e cinquenta trabalhos foram produzidos sob... more Desde a década de 1990 até o ano de 2012 mais de cento e cinquenta trabalhos foram produzidos sobre a pré-história do litoral sudeste do Brasil. A grande maioria dos trabalhos refere aos sítios sambaquis, outra porção aos denominados “acampamentos litorâneos”, com e sem cerâmica, que caracterizam a pré-história mais recente do litoral. Dentro de tão vasto volume de trabalhos, quanto sabemos atualmente sobre a evolução da ocupação humana da costa e as características dos grupos que lá habitaram antes da migração massiva dos Guaranis? Este trabalho pretende sintetizar as informações mais relevantes produzidas nos últimos vinte anos sobre a pré-história do litoral sudeste e aventar novas hipóteses para discutir velhas questões referentes ao povoamento da costa e à “desaparição” dos grupos construtores sambaquis.
Archaeological Soil and Sediment Micromorphology, 2017
Bone, teeth and other hard tissues derived from animals are a major artefact class of many archae... more Bone, teeth and other hard tissues derived from animals are a major artefact class of many archaeological sites. This chapter summarizes the optical properties of bone, teeth, antler and keratin tissues. Different bones that comprise the fin rays show particular shapes that allow for their identification in thin section. Taphonomic processes that impact bones include combustion and heating, biological activity, mechanical fracturing and chemical weathering. Collagen loss from bone may be observed in thin section as a decrease in birefringence strength and change in elongation sign. In some archaeological contexts, bone mineral dissolution may occur in association with secondary mineral formation. The effects of recrystallization are visible in thin section. The chapter provides a general guideline of key points that one should note when describing bones in thin section, with the goal of using these observations for reconstructing site formation processes.
South American Contributions to World Archaeology, 2021
En esta nota, se presentan los resultados preliminares del estudio micromorfológico realizado en ... more En esta nota, se presentan los resultados preliminares del estudio micromorfológico realizado en el depósito ictiológico que recubre al sambaquí Jabuticabeira II, desarrollados en el marco del proyecto temático interdisciplinario Sambaquis e paisagem. El análisis microestratigráfi co permitió identifi car procesos pre-depositacionales antrópicos que actuaron en la formación de esta estructura, relacionada con la quema y transporte de material mineral (arenas terrígenas) y residuos orgánicos (carbones) e inorgánicos de origen biológico (huesos, fi tolitos, diatomeas, agregados silíceos). Los efectos de las alteraciones post-depositacionales sobre estas partículas pueden observarse a través de trazas de disolución en los huesos y la formación de un material mineral fi no de composición fosfática. Esta articulación de evidencias confi rma la compleja combinación de actividades y procesos de alteración involucrados en la formación de sitios sambaquís, que transciende antiguas dicotomías funcionales.
Latin American Antiquity, Jan 1, 2010
Desde o começo da ocupação humana no litoral centro-sul de Santa Catarina, Brasil, a articulação ... more Desde o começo da ocupação humana no litoral centro-sul de Santa Catarina, Brasil, a articulação entre processos naturais e antrópicos modelou uma paisagem fortemente domesticada, marcada pela construção massiva de concheiros de dimensões monumentais e pela permanência milenar. Na planície costeira entre Passagem da Barra (município de Laguna) e lago Figueirinha (município de Jaguaruna), 76 sambaquis foram mapeados, dos quais 48 possuem datação. O levantamento sistemático de sítios e datações permitiu identificar padrões de distribuição espacial nos sambaquis da região, quanto a contexto sedimentar da época de construção, estratigrafia e idade. Desse modo, reconheceram-se nos sítios da região: cinco contextos geológico-geomorfológicos de localização; três padrões estratigráficos; e quatro fases de ocupação sambaquieira baseadas na quantidade de sítios e no tipo de padrão construtivo dominante. O modelo integrado de evolução sedimentar e distribuição tempo-espacial de sambaquis indica que estes sítios eram construídos em áreas já emersas e pouco alagáveis, e que sítios interiores, afastados dos corpos lagunares, podem não se ter preservado ou não estarem expostos devido ao processo de assoreamento contínuo que caracterizou a região após a máxima transgressão holocênica. O cruzamento de dados aqui proposto evidencia a importância de abordagens integradas entre arqueologia e geociências no estudo da evolução das paisagens.
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Articles in peer-reviewed journals / Book chapters by Ximena Suarez Villagran